Sunset in Heaven
by Ren-sama23
Summary: Ichigo died at the young age of nine. Surviving in Rukongai is bad enough, but to think that afterlife isn't the heaven that he dreamed of… Eventual ByaIchi. Yaoi.
1. Chapter 1

**Ren-sama's Note:**

**Warning (for all/latter chapters): Yaoi, Angst, OOCness, Language, Sex, and everything else that might make you curse. Consider yourself warned!**

**Disclaimer: On my profile. **

**Enjoy!**

**.**

**Chapter 1**

He kept running and running until the pursuers were gone, bumping into unknown people and receiving glares and curses in the process. But no one even stopped and asked why he was running, seemingly so afraid and so lost. No one even bothered to look at him and question the way his tears continued to fall down his eyes without his permission. _No one cared… _He didn't know why those people were chasing him and what for. All he knew was the fact that they all had this predatory gleam in their eyes as they tried to catch the orange-haired little boy with fearful and teary chocolate eyes as he ran for his life, or supposedly, his afterlife.

_It had been three days since then… _Three days of wanderings around this cold village with strangers who neither cared nor look at him with warmth. _And he was scared… so scared that he simply wished to die all over again…_

"Kaa-san…" He pleaded silently with hoarse and exhausted voice as he slid down the wall of a deserted alleyway. He choked as he sobbed in silence, trying his best to call for his mother who was nowhere to be found. He wished he could call his father too. But his father wouldn't hear him now. His father was in the world of the living, probably mourning his lost too. _He was such an ungrateful son… he wished he could at least see his father again. _But that wouldn't do. Wanting to see his father meant that he wished his father dead, and he couldn't even think of such selfish thoughts. His mother died because of him and he couldn't have his father die because of him too. _He wouldn't be able to stand it… His father was annoying sometimes, but he loved that man. _And so the person he needed to find now was his mother. He needed to find her… "Kaa-san… Kaa-san… Where are you..?"

He couldn't remember his mother's face anymore, not even her beautiful smile. _Though he would never forget her name… Masaki. _His death stole too much memory from him. He was lucky he still had some of them intact, mostly about his family. _Though most of their faces were blurred… _He couldn't even remember the faces of his younger sisters, nor remember their names. And he couldn't remember any of his friends or the life that he had as a school boy. At best, his memories were fragmented and blurred, only making sense when he's asleep. All he could remember clearly was his father's anguished, crying face, because his father was the last person he saw before his death. _And that broke his heart a little more…_

He didn't know how much time passed since he let himself cry for the first time. He didn't know how many hours it took to calm himself down in case the pursuers heard him and decided to torture him in this abandoned place full of dead people with dead hearts.

When he finally calmed down, he decided that it was better to find somewhere place safe to sleep for the night. The moon hung at the sky, oblivious to the pain of the innocent child anguished by the lost of his mother's life more than his own.

He walked some deserted alleyway and hoped against all odds that those manic teenagers who looked like demented souls already stopped trying to pull a prank on him. He ended up walking and walking until he found out that he was already at the outskirt of the village. _And yet he still didn't know where he was… All he knew was the fact that he was dead, never to be seen by anyone again, and never to see his mother again._

A lone road lay across him, and about four meters on the other side of the road was a shallow slope filled small grasses. On the far side of the grasses was a small river with sparkling water, caused by the moon's dim light, that flows silently. The air was refreshing, so free and relaxing, so different from the stifling and suffocating air of the crowded and poor-looking village. He found himself inhaling the air greedily as he ran towards the grassy slope and headed straight to the river. He hadn't feel relaxed these past two days and he knew that this silent peace would only last for hours, at least until before the break of dawn where people would start to awaken and he would be scared again.

He played with the water for a while like the child that he was, trying his hardest to forget about the awful guilt that ate away at his soul. He immediately turned around when he heard some footsteps coming near. He hid on the other side of the river, behind some thick bushes and waited for the footsteps to come.

A tall man in his early thirties walked with elegance together with another man who looked much younger than him. The two of them both had black hakama and kimono, and one of them had a white haori on top. He had brunette curly locks and cold brown eyes while the other had black hair and eyes. The brunette, the young boy noticed, had cold eyes despite it appearing warm and caring at first. It was even colder than the eyes of those people in the village. _It was scary…_

And the choking feeling that he started feeling ever since the two men arrived was bewildering and utterly painful. It felt like all the air was being squeezed out of his lungs with a strong grip. It was a feeling that he never had before and he surely did not want to feel it again. He knew it was some kind of pressure coming from the man with white haori, and he wanted to just leave and run away from his hiding place. But he was afraid, so afraid, that if the two men found him out, they would also do some pranks on him like the teenagers did the day before.

He knew better than to approach strangers now and ask where he was. He knew better than to believe in their crafty smiles that were filled with ulterior motives. Two days of horrible experience in this place was enough to make him forget about some of his childhood innocence, the innocence that would make him trust an adult's words easily. His head jerked up when the younger man spoke silently over the other side of the river, despite the fact that he wanted nothing but to succumb to the oblivion created by the utter pain in his entire being.

"A-Aizen-taichou, I-I don't think this is a good idea…" The younger man stuttered as he tried to catch up to the older male's longer strides. "S-Surely, they would…" He trailed off when Aizen's cold gaze settled on his. "I mean, if they found out… I would definitely be fired… or worst, executed…"

"Didn't I tell you that I will take care of it?" Aizen asked coolly, too cool and cold for the little boy's liking. And he found himself shuddering from the voice. Apparently, the younger man also did and that made Aizen look at the other in amusement. "There's no need to worry, I've already looked into it and you already did the job. No one needs to know."

"But they're investigating! I mean, if they found out that I was there…" The younger man looked frantic and Aizen looked even more amused.

"Like I said, no one needs to know." Aizen's cold brown eyes somehow turned darker and his smile turned sadistic despite it appearing so calm. "Hado No. 90," the younger man's eyes widened with fear and the little orange-haired boy couldn't help but whimper too. "Kurohitsugi." And in an instant, a huge black box screaming of power in vast magnitude appeared out of nowhere, engulfing the young man inside who didn't even had the time to scream. The little boy, though he didn't know what it was, felt that it was dangerous to stay near the scene. His eyes were wide and his whole body was trembling from unshed tears and utter fear. The man was powerful, and the boy's instinct told him that the younger man wasn't comfortable inside that thing. Far from it actually. Huge black cross-like things appeared from nowhere and stabbed the box-like black distortion and the little boy covered his mouth with both his trembling hands to prevent himself from screaming.

The black box vanished just as quickly and the younger man was nowhere to be found. _Run, run, run! _His head screamed for him to just leave the place as quietly as possible and run for it, but his body wouldn't listen. Instead, he remained rooted in his spot, trembling and on the verge of breaking.

Two weeks ago he saw his mother died in front of him, murdered ruthlessly. And now, in this deserted place, another murder occurred, also ruthlessly. The older man seemed to have sensed him and immediately turned to his direction. The little boy stilled his breath and tensed, totally afraid that he would meet the same fate as the other man. Cold brown eyes gazed into his own chocolate ones and he was overcame with suffocation, one that had nothing to do with his fatigue or the reiatsu that tried to eat his soul alive. This suffocation was different, in an entirely higher level than he could comprehend. His young mind couldn't keep up with the trauma, and he immediately blacked out.

The older male named Aizen narrowed his eyes when he noticed a small spark of reiatsu from the bushes. He didn't know how he didn't feel it before, but it was definitely there, quiet and full of raw fear. _A rat was hiding… _He took a step forward but halted when he saw another male wearing the same clothing but with long white hair and kind eyes.

"Aizen-taichou!" The other man waved enthusiastically. "What are you doing, staring off into space like that?"

"Ukitake-taichou." Aizen put on his flawless mask. The mask he was so proud of that not even the stoic captain of sixth squad could imitate, though that cold captain had a different reason for wearing a mask. That he was sure of. And of course, not even the soutaichou could see through his flawlessness. He was sure he could fool everyone for a little while more, if he had managed to fool them at least a hundred years now. _Now, if he could make the other captain leave so he could take care of the little rat…_

"Come on now, Aizen-taichou, it's too dangerous to be alone right now." The man named Ukitake didn't take the hint that he wanted to be alone. "I heard that someone hacked the server of the twelfth division and all the data were erased. It's being investigated as of now."

"Really? That's terrible. Kurotsuchi-taichou must be in full killing mode as we speak." He feigned innocence. He was so good at it. Ukitake shook his head at the memory that he had when he arrived at the scene before he quietly agreed to Aizen.

"Shall we head to the 12th Barracks and help?" Ukitake asked and he looked into Aizen's eyes directly, which the Captain of the 5th Squad returned with equal intensity. He was not the kind of person who wouldn't be able to look at another person in the eyes just because he just killed one of that person's unseated officers.

Aizen turned to the direction where the reiatsu leaked earlier but he couldn't feel it now. He was not worried though. Not in the slightest. Even if some Rukongai wandering soul happened to witness the crime, that soul's word would surely held nothing against the word of one of the most well-known and well-liked Captains of Seireitei. And so he willed himself to follow the other Captain named Juushirou Ukitake who was too oblivious just like everybody else.

Ichigo's eyes slowly opened as he heard the noise coming from the river just beside the bushes where he lay on his side. Everything was bright, and he was confused at first as to why and how he got there in the first place. It seemed he slept quite soundly considering he didn't even stir when there were so many kids of his age playing in the river. The events of last night momentarily forgotten, he watched in fascination as he saw a kid with fierce red hair that stuck on all sides of his head playing with some other kids.

"Pineapple…" he whispered and he giggled silently at the sight. But as his eyes darted towards the road he crossed last night, it's like everything just re-winded and he suddenly remembered why he was lying there unconscious. He could feel his chest constrict and he fought back the whimper that was threatening to escape his small trembling lips. He tried to bring his hands to his mouth again and the movement caught the redhead's attention. His eyes suddenly grew sharper as he shouted.

"Who's there!?" He asked. Ichigo decided he didn't want another prank pulled on him by these people. And so he ran. He ran away from the voice, from the kid who looked like he was about the same age but the difference between them was so vast the orange-haired boy could've mistaken the other boy for someone older.

Those kids, and all the other people in this place, wore peasants' clothing from a period that reigned in the centuries before he was born. He could only recognize the outfit from the television drama series featuring his countries' historical events and then twisting it so that the story revolved around two lovers who couldn't be together until the very end. His mother liked those nighttime dramas very much and he always saw how touched she was by the time the characters fell in love with one another. And then she would smile all lovingly at him when she noticed that he was watching her instead of the television in front of them. _And that smile… he would never see it again… _Not that he could remember much of it.

He sobbed but this time, no tear came. He knew from the moment he entered this place that she was not here. He didn't know how he knew that fact but he somehow did. And yet, it didn't deter him from trying to find her all over the place and, in the process, getting in some trouble with some brats who didn't have anything much to do. He knew in the end that it was futile because from the very start she was not here at all. But he still wanted to try. He didn't want to give up hope that she would show up in front of him in the near future. He wanted to continue believing that she would return, because if he didn't, then he would be lost. He wouldn't know what to do…

But for now, he needed to take care of one thing, his stomach kept on growling and he didn't have any money. _What then..?_

**. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .**

He didn't know what to do now. He was suffocating in deep anguish and pain that it was difficult even to breath. Two weeks ago, his wife had died. No, she was murdered. Murdered by hollow that his son had no understanding of. _If only he was there on time… If only he was able to protect both his wife and his son… _And his poor son was too engulfed in self pity and guilt that the little boy had this idea that if he stayed near the river, his mother would come back again. He couldn't watch. And yet, he couldn't tell the boy directly that she would never come back. He wouldn't be able to stand the pain and the anguish that would overcome those beautiful chocolate eyes. And so he let his little boy, his only son, wander by the bank of the river everyday, seemingly lost and walking back and forth as if waiting for someone. He wanted to just stand next to the little boy and hug him tight, tell him that it wasn't his fault, and that if anyone was at fault, it was he, Isshin, and not the little orange energy who was Ichigo.

For almost two weeks, he watched in silent agony as his son waited beside the river, waiting and watching the sun until it was gone, until everything was dark. And then Ichigo would come home more pitiful and worn. For two weeks his son endured the waiting, the agony, and Isshin couldn't stop him. Not even he, at first, believed that his wife had died that day. But he knew that he needed to accept things as they were if he wanted to move on and continue living with his three kids.

_And yet… and yet the fucking asshole of a hollow just had to come back for Ichigo too! _

He was about to close his shop three days ago when he felt that familiar feeling of his chest constricting as if in pain. He immediately felt dread and panic. _It was the same feeling he had the afternoon that Masaki, his wife, died. _And so he immediately went out to find his oldest child, the son that had suffered so much for the death of his mother. He couldn't feel any strong spiritual pressure around the neighborhood so he was sure that his two young twins would be alright. He walked the by-now soaked pavement, not even feeling the rain that started to pour out earlier in the afternoon. His skin felt so numb, just as his whole body was. And yet, the more he ran, the more the feeling of dread grew. He was panicking. It was the same. It was raining that afternoon too.

He knew where to find Ichigo but it didn't make the lump in his throat disappear. As he neared the river, he thought for a second that Ichigo was not there. There was no one. His reiatsu had barely came back but he was sure that Ichigo was–

A loud roar of something inhuman echoed all throughout the area and Isshin's eyes widened as he saw his son lying on his back while draining in a pool of blood a little far from where he was. A small hollow, it seemed, had managed to claw his chest and Ichigo was left alone as another hollow appeared and fought the other one for the delicious meal.

Isshin saw red in that instant. He was wearing a giggai but his spiritual power was enormous enough to actually alert the two hollows, who by now had already noticed him. The two left the poor boy alone, and Isshin wanted nothing but to run by his son's side and take him to the hospital. But he also knew that he couldn't leave these two hollows alone for they might head for his daughters next. For once, he inwardly cursed being a Shinigami. If _they_ didn't have these powers, Masaki wouldn't have died. Ichigo wouldn't have had to suffer… And their family would've stayed perfect and whole. _If only…_

He immediately pulled out his gikongan, took the gikon in one gulp, and stripped himself off his gigai. He immediately drew his sword and cut the two hollows in half within just a second. He was still weak, but for a captain-class Shinigami such as he, there was no way hollows like that would prove to be a worthy opponent for him.

He immediately ran towards Ichigo, who lay on his back, choking in his own blood. The boy's eyes were glazed and he was afraid that he was too late… again.

"O…yaji…" His son's voice was a mere whisper and before he knew it, he was sobbing hard as he tried to carefully carry Ichigo in his arms.

"Shhh… It's okay, son… it's okay…" He continued sobbing as he shunpo'd towards his clinic. The Kurosaki Hospital might be better, with all the better gadgets and right equipment, but it was far. _And he feared that he didn't have much time… He couldn't risk it…_

"Oya..ji… Don't… cry.." Ichigo voiced as Isshin put him on the bed, ready to perform any type of treatment just to make his son better.

"I'm not crying, son…" He wiped away the tears from his eyes and started undressing his son in the most careful manner possible. He didn't want to hurt Ichigo any more than he had suffered. He felt himself boil in anger as he saw the extent of the wound. _It was far deeper than he originally thought… No, this couldn't be… _"It's okay…" He ran his hand on his son's hair. "It's okay…" He kept repeating the words like a mantra because he felt that if he didn't, his son would be taken from him as well. _Please, no…_

Ichigo looked at his father weakly. He knew he was slowly succumbing to the darkness, but he didn't want to leave his father all alone here, sobbing just as he was cleaning his already numb body. He watched as his father both cried and maintained a professional face as he started sewing the deep lashes that the thing did to him.

He knew his father was hurting badly, and he fought against the heaviness that threatened to overpower his whole body. He slowly lifted up his hand and touched his father's hand on top of his chest.

"Oyaji…" He voiced.

"Hmm..?" Isshin answered when he saw that his son wanted to make a conversation. His son had not talked for a while now, and he hadn't smiled, not even a twitch.

"I love you…" Ichigo voiced quietly, despite the ragged breaths. "I'm sorry… about kaa-san…"

Isshin gently gripped his son's hand. "I love you too, son…" He wanted to caress his son's hair again but his hands were full of blood right now. "It's not your fault, Ichigo. It's mine." He cleaned up the wound and was about to let his son sleep when Ichigo started to whimper. "Ichigo..?" he called, voice starting to croak.

"O-Oyaji…" Ichigo's feature was tensed. He looked like he was in pain but he was fighting it. "I-It… it hurts…"

Isshin immediately soothed him and was about to prepare some more anesthesia for his son when he saw that the wounds, the three slash that were just sewed, were leaking with reiatsu. _And the reiatsu was not his son's. _He immediately put his hand on his son's chest and tried to negate the pain and also the reiatsu by using a healing kidou.

Ichigo could feel his eyes water at the intense pain that the wound started to make him feel. It was worse than when he was initially attacked. "Is it…" He called weakly. "…poisoned..?"

Isshin's eyes widened at that. He knew he made sure that the wound did not contain any kind of poison when he cleaned it. But now, as he saw the leaking reiatsu from the wound, he wasn't so sure anymore.

Ichigo's whimpers started to get louder and Isshin did his best to heal him. Another man's reiatsu registered on his senses and he was sure who it was even before the other man spoke from behind him.

"Kurosaki-san, it's no use." The man said in a calm manner and Isshin felt himself wanting to strangle him.

"Shut up, Urahara." He voiced coldly as he tried his best to use more and more of his reiatsu. "If you're not here to help, then I suggest you leave." Ichigo screamed in pain and the man, Urahara, closed his eyes. He gripped his striped hat and lowered it in front of his face.

"Kurosaki, the more you put in a reiatsu, the more your son will be in pain." He said after a while of silence. Ichigo was now gasping for air and Isshin didn't know what to do anymore. His tears started falling again.

"What do you suggest I do then?" His voice was slightly commanding, but the pain and agony deep in the hoarseness of it was enough to make any man's cold heart melt.

"You need to let him go." Urahara said quietly. "Your son is supposed to be dead the moment that hollow clawed him. It's claws has a unique type of poison that eats the soul's power immediately. I can feel the reiatsu even from here, and I'm telling you it's no use trying to make him live a little longer. Ichigo-kun is a very strong boy if he was able to continue breathing after that. But believe me when I say that it will only make a toll on his soul. And before you know it, his soul will vanish just after it loses all of its essence."

"Are you suggesting that I just let my son die in front of me!?" Isshin shouted at him in anger. "If you know what's good for you, you better suggest something that will make my son live."

"Oyaji…"

"Shh… We can do this… I know we can do this…" Isshin raked his head for anything that could make him save his son that didn't require the use of reiatsu. Because apparently, the more he tried to negate the poison by using a kidou, the more it spreads all over his son's body, hurting Ichigo more and more.

Ichigo gasped as the pain escalated suddenly, almost making him black out. He grabbed his father's hand, trying his best to hold on to his consciousness, _for his father's sake…_

Isshin held his son's hand just as Ichigo's grip suddenly tightened. His son closed his eyes and his whole body trembled in so much pain, before it slackened. However, his eyes remained closed.

"Ichigo..?" Isshin gripped the small hands tighter. "Come on, Ichigo, open your eyes. Goat-face is here."

"Kurosaki-san–" Urahara stepped forward.

"Shut up, Urahara! Ichigo is not dead!" Isshin shouted as he turned his sharp gaze on the other man. "He's not…" Urahara lowered his hat and stepped beside Isshin, giving his shoulder a slight squeeze. No matter how much Isshin tried to make him leave, he would not. After all, Isshin was his friend and he would not leave the man in his times of anguish.

"Ichigo…" Isshin sobbed as he hugged his son, now unmoving and lifeless. "Ichigo… please don't leave me… please don't leave me too…"

.

.tbc.

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**Ren-sama's Note:**

**I know it might be a little too dramatic, but I guess it couldn't be helped. Please review! ˆoˆ**


	2. Chapter 2

**Ren-sama's Note:**

**Thanks, everyone for the reviews! Though I hope many others will review next time.**

**I forgot to mention last time, but please don't judge Ichigo's character as the same one he had in the anime. Remember that Ichigo lived differently and thus will most likely have a different character than the anime. The same can be said for the rest of the characters. ˆoˆ**

**Warning: There will be some character deaths in this fan fict. Consider yourselves warned.**

**Anyway, here's the next chapter!**

**.**

**Chapter 2**

"Don't move!" An old woman was putting some bandages and disinfectants on a boy's left cheek.

"But oba-chan, it hurts." A boy of about twelve countered. It's been eight years since the boy came to the slums of Rukongai and even now he was still bullied by other kids of his age because of his strikingly orange hair. Though he was basically nine when he died, it was already eight years in the human world before he looked like he was twelve in Rukongai, for time passed slower here in the afterlife.

The old woman sighed as she finished. "This is for you to see that fighting isn't pleasurable." She scolded. "You always, _always_ come back here scathed or together with some unknown people who have complaints!"

"But they're the ones who keep on trying to fight against me." Ichigo mumbled. "Just because my hair is a little different than theirs…"

"I know, Ichigo." She patted his head with her fragile hand. "But that doesn't mean you can just show up here after knocking out some teens and sporting a swollen cheek!" Ichigo scowled. "Anyway, you better eat." His expression brightened and she knew she just couldn't resist this little strawberry of hers.

Ichigo moved onto the table and started digging without waiting for his grandmother, or at least that's how he saw her. She had no reiatsu and thus didn't need to consume any kind of food. Ichigo was the only reason she was working – to buy food for him. The twelve-year old boy had grown up so much since then.

She remembered how she found him on the road one morning beside her house, lying on his side and clearly dying of hunger. It seemed the boy was far too innocent to actually think of stealing anything. She realized that the boy must be a well-bred child before he died. But if he wouldn't leave his innocence behind, the place called Rukongai would eat him alive and without any remorse. And thus, she gave a piece of bread that she had, though she didn't need it. It was only because she was used to eating during the time when she was alive and the habit didn't die together with her. She, like almost everyone, had their memories vanished when they died. But somehow, she just felt that she used to eat bread as main dish when she was alive.

The boy looked at her with scared eyes and she smiled as he eyed the bread with longing. She said that he could have it and he was very surprised, like it was impossible for anyone in Rukongai to actually feed someone they didn't know. _Maybe he came from the higher district, the poorest and most slum part of Soul Society, where people thought of no one but themselves. _

And after that, Ichigo became attached to her and though she was annoyed of his clingy attitude at first, she now wished he was still like that, innocent and sweet. Now, Ichigo was having fights everywhere and always wore a scowl that made other people wary of him. Only she understood that behind that scowl, behind that mask of strength and brusque attitude, Ichigo was a lovely and sweet child who missed his family so much. He tried to hide it from her, but she could see it surfacing every time the boy looked at mother and child walking in the streets of Rukongai. He would unconsciously grab her clothes, as if trying to borrow her strength. _He was such a sweet young boy… even though he didn't show it._

"Baa-chan, I hear that there will be a celebration in the 8th district today." Ichigo voiced as he finished his meal. The old woman knew he had no interest in such occasions, but he still told her because she liked watching noble families parading in the streets of Rukongai. She liked to watch and admire these higher class souls who had another pair of hands that held their spoons, who didn't need to wake up very early and go to work just to earn something. She knew Ichigo despised them but she didn't. The boy still didn't know that hierarchy would always be present as long as there were people.

"Do you want to watch together with me, Ichigo?" She asked kindly, already anticipating the answer. Every time she would ask, the boy would snort and roll his eyes, as if to say that such petty things were of no concern to him.

"Nah, I want to play with the others." Ichigo answered as he scrunched up his nose. She chuckled as she patted his head.

"You better not go home with bruises again!" She said. Ichigo looked at her and he knew that she was excited, though only subtly, at the thought of watching some noble marriage. He didn't have any interest in such things. He's already dead and there's no need to make himself gawk at things he knew he couldn't attain, even if he could attain them while living.

His family was rich, his parents were both doctors and owned the Kurosaki Hospital and he was dreaming of following their footsteps someday, inheriting their positions by studying hard and finishing school, though his dreams were ripped off of him that rainy afternoon, and whether he was thinking of the rainy afternoon when her mother died or when he died, he didn't know. He didn't remember those memories at the beginning. But somehow, during these past eight years, he was able to surmise what his parents' work was and how he lived his life.

After some hours, the two of them parted by the main street of District 32 and he watched as she walked away. It was a sudden urge, but he couldn't help but ran towards her and hug her from behind. The old woman was surprised when someone suddenly hugged her but when she turned around and saw bright orange locks, she smiled kindly.

"You're being clingy today." She teased. "Are you sure you won't get in any fight?"

He looked up and grinned. "Nope, probably." He hugged her again. Somehow, he couldn't help but hug her tighter.

"Alright, little Strawberry, you better let go now or your peers might think you're a grandma's boy." She smiled and he scowled. She knew he hated being called 'little Strawberry', but she always called him that as an endearment. He knew that too so the scowl was just a normal reaction and not a grudging one.

"Will you be home when I get back?" Ichigo asked.

"Of course, little Strawberry." She chuckled. "I'll bring food later." He grinned again before he kissed her on the cheek and dashed gracefully away.

She stared at his leaving figure for a while with fond eyes. She liked it when Ichigo moved like that, like he was dancing every time he ran. There was so much grace and elegance in the child and she thought Ichigo was a child from a rich family, at least when he was alive. Souls lose their riches when they die and the only thing differentiating Ichigo from the other kids in Rukongai was his demeanor.

She started walking away to the district where she would watch the lovely noble couple exchange their vows in front of the multitude of crowds.

Ichigo's favorite place was the forested area in the 78th District in Rukongai. He would train there physically to improve his strength and to be able to protect what was important to him. He couldn't protect his mother because he was too young and too weak to do so. He couldn't protect his father from shedding tears for him because he was too weak, too fragile, and too human. But now, he swore he would protect Riku-baa-chan, the sole person in the whole Rukongai who took care of him, who gave him shelter and clothes, who fed him everyday. She was the only one who didn't find his hair annoying, and the only family he had in this fucked up afterlife.

He was still training when he heard some rustles of leaves not so far away from where he was. He stared at the bushes, and when he couldn't take his curiosity anymore, he decided to walk and see what it was for himself.

The two of them were startled as they came face to face with one another, one with a striking orange hair and one with flaming red hair.

"Wha–, What are you doing here?" The redhead asked, clearly annoyed that he was interrupted from doing whatever he was doing.

Ichigo blinked at him. The boy looked familiar somehow. He had long spiky red hair ponytailed at the back of his head. His eyes were dark and his skin was more tanned than Ichigo's. He knew that he lost many little memories that he had when he was still alive, but somehow he knew that he didn't meet the kid in the human world. And he surely didn't him in Rukongai… He scowled. It was a pain in the ass thinking of something that might have happened so long ago. After all, eight years was a long amount of time for a kid like him.

Ichigo wanted to tell him that he was just curious about the rustle of leaves, but by now he knew that it would be useless to be polite with the people in Rukongai. "I could ask you the same. The last time I check, this forest is not owned by anyone."

The redhead growled, and Ichigo waited for the attack to come, but it didn't. And then he remembered his promise with Riku-baa-chan not to get into any fight. _Damn…_

"Anyway, you don't look like you're from around here." The redhead squinted his eyes, obviously scrutinizing Ichigo. The orange-haired boy surely had an air of elegance in him, even if he wore tattered clothing. His spiky orange hair glistening under the sun and his tanned skin and chocolate eyes were mostly appealing. "Are you from the lower district, no, from the _stuck up_ fucked up district?"

This time it was Ichigo's turn to growl. He glared at the redhead but he didn't answer. He knew the redhead was saying the truth anyway. It's just that his language was pretty much antagonizing.

The redhead smirked. "So–"

"Renji!" The two of them turned as they saw a petite and yet beautiful raven-haired girl with gentle blue eyes. She waved at them and Renji immediately blushed just as he grinned.

"What is it, Kuchiki-sama?" Renji asked in a teasing tone, and Ichigo couldn't relate.

Rukia's eyes narrowed before she exclaimed. "Don't make fun of my family name!" Renji just smirked and her eyes fell on Ichigo. "And who might you be?" She looked at him from head to toe, clearly impressed at the incredible reiatsu that he held. Renji might not be too keen on these things but a noble like her, even as a child, was keen enough to actually knew that Ichigo was no ordinary kid.

"Eh, Ichigo." He answered, looking at the redhead with new understanding. It seemed the kid was growing a little bit early.

"Ichigo?" She smiled. "Nice to meet you, Ichigo. I am Rukia Kuchiki, from the–"

"Yeah, yeah." Renji interrupted her before she could start the introduction of the history of the Kuchiki clan. He then looked at Ichigo before he smirked. "So you're Strawberry?"

Ichigo's eyes widened for a while before he scowled. "Not strawberry, the protector, you Pineapple head!"

"What did you say, you Strawberry head!" Renji was about to jump at Ichigo when Rukia cleared her throat.

"I believe you two are in the presence of a noble. Please behave yourselves." Her eyes turned darker as she tried to make her demeanor more imposing. But Renji merely arched an eyebrow in her direction and Ichigo didn't look threaten at all. She blushed in defeat and sighed. "Why can't I be like nii-sama?"

"Simply because you're not him." Ichigo answered and they both looked at him. "What?"

Rukia's mood brightened instantly when she remembered something. "Are you going to play with us in the next few days?"

Ichigo pointed at himself. "Me?" She nodded. "Uh… I don't know…"

"Well, if the stuck up Strawberry is too noble to even play with the Kuchiki's young daughter, then maybe he–"

"Fine, fine!" Ichigo shouted at him. "But I have t go now. Baa-chan might already be home."

"Tomorrow, let's play!" Rukia beamed and his expression softened. Renji scowled at him, clearly jealous of the exchange. "I'll have to leave now too. Nii-sama might scold me again, though it will be good if he'll actually do that…" Ichigo looked at her but she was already dashing away. Renji followed her but he waved a hand to Ichigo without turning back.

That was enough for Ichigo. Maybe, just maybe, there were people aside from Riku-baa-chan who didn't mind that he had a strange color for a hair. He went home after that, to the outskirts of District 32, and found the house very quiet.

"Baa-chan, are you already here?" He called. He shrugged. Maybe she was still the festival. He was about to step inside the house, or rather, a hut, when an overflow of reiatsu suddenly filled the air. _Oh, God… this reiatsu… the same as the time with his mother… _He felt himself panicking and he couldn't help but tremble at the immense reiatsu in the air. "Baa-chan!? Are you here?"

He searched the living room and the kitchen for her, and then he turned to her bedroom. His mind suddenly stopped working the moment he stepped inside the old woman's bedroom. His eyes widened when he saw pools and splatters of blood on the bed, on the wooden floor, the cabinets. And he almost looked relieved when he saw his Riku-baa-chan standing not far from him, her back facing him and the door. "Baa…chan..?"

'_Ichigo… call my name.' _He looked around when heard the voice. But when he saw nobody else aside from his baa-chan, he immediately shook his head at the imagined voice before he took a step forward.

"Baa-chan..? Are you okay? Why are there so much blood here?" He asked, silently panicking at the lack of response from her.

'_Ichigo, you need to call my name. You need to call it.'_

"S-Shut up…" He whispered before he turned his attention to her grandma again. And when she turned around, the blood immediately drained from his face.

'_That's not your baa-chan. You need to kill it. That creature is a Hollow, a being that devours souls with strong reiatsu, a being that brings havoc in both the human world and Soul Society.'_

Ichigo clutched his head as he looked at the figure in front of him with fear. He knew that this person couldn't be his baa-chan. He knew that much… _But still… It's hard to believe it when she had her face. _But not her eyes. The eyes of this person, or whatever creature this was, were crimson. They were bloodthirsty and cold.

'_This Hollow killed you baa-chan, Ichigo. You better kill it if you want to live. Use me to bring salvation to this pitiful hollow, Ichigo.'_

"Baa-chan..?" He called again, trying his best to ignore the annoying male's voice that was speaking to him from somewhere. He focused his attention on his baa-chan instead. She might still be inside the body, waiting to be saved. He didn't want to just run and leave her here. _He promised he would protect her… He promised he'd be stronger… And yet… What's this?_

She smiled creepily before she roared. A roar that was definitely not human, a roar that was so like the roar that he heard before his mother died, the roar that he heard before his own death, the roar that was so… _so Hollow…_

And she leapt forward to him.

'_Ichigo, call me!'_

Ichigo closed his eyes in fright and he thought for sure that he'd die, that he'd get eaten by his own baa-chan. But when he opened his eyes, he choked at the sight before him. He felt his tears ran down his cheeks and the quiet sobs that echoed the room were definitely his. His hands trembled. His hands, which were holding a very enormous sword, a very enormous sword that had just stabbed her through the chest, his hands were trembling. He saw the blood leaking from her body and soaking the sword that he held with so much red. _His hands had so much red…_

"Baa..chan..?" He choked. She roared again, she was probably in pain, and this time he pulled out the sword, just before he slashed her again. And 'she' became distorted and the real appearance of the impostor showed up, an ugly green monster-like creature, before it disintegrated. After a while, he felt several strong reiatsus coming his way.

After a few seconds, about four or five men with black shihakusho arrived, _the Shinigamis, _just in time to see the slowly disintegrating Hollow and the shocked child who held a very enormous sword, a zanpakutou that was taller than he was and probably weighted the same as him.

"Kid, are you alright?" A man with dark spiky hair asked gently, and when the said kid still didn't answer, or even acknowledge another's presence, he shouted. "Oi, do you hear me!?"

"Shiba-kun, I believe the kid is shocked and traumatized." Ukitake appeared from the crowd just as the others left the house to take care of two more Hollows that were wrecking havoc in the outskirts of the district.

He knelt in front of the boy and gently pried the zanpakutou off his trembling hands. His eyes widened when he felt the weight of the said sword. _Just how was this little boy able to beat the hollow when not even he, a Taichou, would want to carry a sword as heavy as that?_

"It seemed his Shinigami powers awakened early because of self-preservation." Ukitake looked at the young man when the latter spoke. Kaien Shiba, his Fukutaichou, was speaking as if it didn't concern him, though Ukitake could see passed the indifference and see how concern Kaien was.

"Hey, kid. My name is Juushirou Ukitake, the Taichou of the Thirteenth Squad of Gotei 13. Can you tell us a little of what happened, if it's alright..?" Ukitake called gently as he rubbed the tousled hair of the boy, which was surprisingly soft despite appearing like it wasn't. The act must have registered to the child's brain and he slowly looked up at the gentle feature of Ukitake.

"I…" The child mumbled. "I… killer her… I killed… baa-chan…"

Kaien looked at the boy with discernable concern now. He was just a boy. How could they explain to him that what he did was the right thing? How could they say that his baa-chan was already dead long before he stabbed the body?

Ukitake took the child's hand and squeezed it gently. "It's not her that you killed. That creature is called a Hollow. They are beings that kill and devour souls to satiate their hunger. And that particular Hollow has the power to copy the appearance of the person it has eaten. The one you killed is the Hollow, not your baa-chan."

"Zangetsu…" The boy suddenly mumbled.

Ukitake and Kaien exchanged glances. "Is that the name of your baa-chan?"

Ichigo looked at them, totally exhausted from the emptiness that he felt and the exhaustion that was caused by him wielding a sword that he was still too young to call out. "The sword…"

Ukitake's eyes widened in understanding. For the boy to know the name of his zanpakutou at such an early stage was just superb. "So your zanpakutou's name is Zangetsu. How… magnificent, the name." Ichigo simply nodded, still a little too out of it to actually think any straighter.

"You should thank him, kid. If it weren't for your zanpakutou, you'd be dead by now." Kaien said in nonchalance and Ukitake gave him a look, which only made him grin.

"But normally, zanpakutous will only come out when the body is already mature enough to handle its power, or if the mind is mature enough to wield it." Ukitake took a glance at Ichigo again. "He's still too young to wield a zanpakutou."

"Hmm… Anyway, I'm Kaien Shiba. What's your name, kid?" Kaien clearly disagreed to Ukitake's observation even if he didn't say it. He believed that a person, no matter how young, could use the zanpakutou as long as the person had enough resolve and perseverance. Ukitake smiled. His Fukutaichou disagreed with him. It meant that Kaien was clearly amused by the child.

"Ichigo." He answered. He could understand what they were saying, could comprehend a little of what just happened. He knew that the one he killed wasn't his baa-chan, Zangetsu said that much. But it still didn't change the fact that his baa-chan was already dead, despite the fact that he promised he would protect her. _In the end, he was still too weak to protect anyone…_

'_**You dare bury yourself in the pit of guilt and self pity again and I'll make sure to get this body from you once and for all, King.'**_

The voice woke him up from his daze. It was inside his head too but it was clearly not Zangetsu. Zangetsu's voice was low and husky, but this one had a very… irritating voice, for lack of a better term.

'_**Hey!'**_

"Are you alright, Ichigo-kun?" The long-haired Captain asked him again. This time he was ready.

"I'm alright. I don't need any help." He simply answered. He knew he was being impolite, but these people were evil. Starting from that man who killed a subordinate just to secure a secret, then there were rumors about these Shinigamis who were apparently too full of themselves. Rukongai wasn't a place that Shinigami was generally liked. It was far from that, actually. The thing that made people follow Shinigami rules wasn't because they were respected, but because they were feared. Shinigamis were feared by people in Rukongai just as much as they feared the occasional attacks of Hollows.

Ukitake sighed. It seemed the kid had clammed up. "Do you mind if we are to take care of you for a while? I know you just said that you don't like any help, but…"

Ichigo looked at him with narrow eyes, suspicious of the motive of the older man. He could see nothing but silent concern in them. Those dark orbs were far too open and far too kind. It's like he was imploring Ichigo to let him help, instead of the other way around. He looked at the other one, the one who kept on making rude comments ever since earlier. _Kaien, right? _

"Are you two strong?" He asked quietly. If he wanted someone to get close to, he wanted those people to be really strong. _He didn't want to see anyone dying anymore… _

Ukitake blushed, and Ichigo blinked at him. "Ah, well… just a little, maybe…"

"Of course, we're strong!" Kaien answered confidently as he grinned. "If you think you're weak, then you'll be weak for the rest of your existence. But if you persevere and maintain a strong resolve, then you will definitely become strong."

Ichigo scowled. "You're cocky, Kaien."

Kaien's eyes widened and Ukitake bit his lip. "Why, you little brat!" He immediately ruffled up Ichigo's hair, making it stand on all ends. But he was grinning.

"Hey!" Ichigo immediately squirmed away from the touch and found himself being patted by Ukitake.

"I'm sorry about your grandmother." Ukitake voiced solemnly. "I take responsibility, for not arriving here earlier. I will also take responsibility of you and be your guardian, but only if you want."

Ichigo looked at his dark orbs for a while. Ukitake didn't know if it was just his own observation, but those mournful chocolate eyes looked like they were really crying even if there were no tears coming out. _The sorrow that this child had experienced was beyond his capability of adapting… _He felt that the kid was trying to hide his emotion in a place where no one could ever reach it, not even him. _Just like a certain raven-haired noble man that he knew…_

He hugged Ichigo, who immediately tensed up. "It's okay. It's okay to cry, Ichigo-kun… You don't have to feel responsible for everything that happens in your surrounding. You're still child, and being a child is not that bad." Ichigo felt like his father was talking to him again. Those times, he did not heed his father's wish. Isshin wanted Ichigo to mourn for his mother's loss and not wait for her to come back anymore. He wanted Ichigo to rely on him even at least a little, but Ichigo felt like blaming himself more and more every time his father approached him with that sad expression. _He couldn't take it. And this man was saying the same thing… _Maybe, just maybe, relying on others might not be that bad… _But only if they didn't die on him… _

"If I say I'll let you take care of me," Ichigo announced as he hugged Ukitake back, still boiling his emotion inside, not letting it out. Kaien arched an eyebrow at the insolence of the kid's voice, but he looked amused. "Will you promise not to…" Ukitake leaned closer because the last statement had turned into a whisper and the last part was lost. He waited until after Ichigo composed himself. "Will you promise not to die?"

Kaien straightened just as Ukitake cleared his throat. "Ichigo-kun," he pulled from the hug to make Ichigo look at him. "As long as we retain our humanity, we will die sooner or later." Ichigo tensed and he had to sooth the boy by tracing circles on his back. "But the fleetingness of human life is what makes it precious. It's what makes us value the things that are important to us."

Ichigo could understand what he was saying. His mind was not that innocent anymore and he knew what the man was trying to say. But that didn't mean it wasn't hard when someone close to him died.

Ukitake smiled at him, the smile that Ichigo was beginning to like. "I promise to try my best to live, and to live to the fullest." Ichigo's eyes brightened a bit and Ukitake couldn't help but smile more. The kid might think that he was mature enough, but he was still a kid inside.

"You too, Kaien." Ichigo voiced after a while.

"Huh? Oy, brat! I'm not going to take care of you!" Kaien crossed his arms and snickered when Ichigo scowled. "All you have to do is promise us that you'll be good, Berry-chan."

Ichigo's eyes widened just as he tried to make his demeanor imposing, much to Ukitake and Kaien's amusement. It's because no matter how much Ichigo tried, he still only reached up to Kaien's upper abdomen. "Don't call me that!"

"But you call me by my first name, you insolent little brat. How come I can't call you by yours?" Kaien said, getting more and more amused. Ichigo was the type of kid who was silent if you let him be, and who would immediately change character when you try to talk to him.

"Shiba-kun," Ukitake arched an eyebrow. "I believe that the child here is supposed to be Ichigo-kun." Ichigo looked pompous and Kaien wanted to mess with the kid's hair once again.

"Alright, alright." Kaien. "I won't die, okay? At least not any time soon." He grinned. And that was enough for Ichigo. _If they would keep their promise, then he'd…_

"Can you be my guardian..?" Ichigo asked directly at Ukitake, a little shy now that he was the one asking for it. Kaien was about to snicker until Ukitake gave him a look, again.

.

.tbc.

.

**Ren-sama's Note:**

**Okay, that's it! Please review, everyone!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Ren-sama's Note:**

**(*blush*) Thank you for the amazing and mostly inspiring reviews! I really thank you! It makes as a payment for all the efforts I did for this fict. (Yes, this fict is mostly finished in my laptop, but the chapters are still raw and unedited so they're still not to be uploaded any time soon.) **

**Yes, this fict is a bit dark. So please don't be too hard on me. And yes, my grammar sucks a bit because my first language isn't English. But aside from that, please enjoy yourselves!**

**This fan fict is a little fast-paced, by the way, so consider yourselves warned. ˆoˆ**

**.**

**Chapter 3**

"Can you be my guardian..?" Ichigo asked directly at Ukitake, a little shy now that he was the one asking for it. Kaien was about to snicker until Ukitake gave him a look, again.

"Of course, Ichigo-kun." Ukitake smiled as his kind eyes turned to the boy. "Do you want to live in Seireitei?"

Ichigo shook his head. "I want to stay here. Can you visit me here sometimes?"

"But…" Kaien looked a little worried for a while, and Ichigo was sure the concern was not for him, but for the Captain.

"My health is a little problematic, Ichigo-kun." Ukitake started but when he saw Ichigo's quietly alarmed look, he added, "But I will still try to visit you when I feel well, just like right now. Is that alright? Shiba-kun will take care of you in my place when I can't make it."

Ichigo looked down. _A man as strong as this person was sick?_ "Juushirou, will you be alright if you keep on visiting me here despite your health?" Kaien's eyebrow twitched at the boy's insolence. Not even he would dare call his Taichou by name and name alone. But it seemed this boy could get away with it, what with all the warmth that Ukitake's kind evoked.

"Of course, I'm not that weak, really. My body is just a little weaker tham most Shinigami, but I'm fine. So, will you be alright for a while? Or do you want us to stay here with you?" Ukitake asked as he held both of Ichigo's shoulders.

Ichigo looked at him from behind his fringe before he nodded. "I'll be fine. You still have some work to do right now, right? About the hollows?"

"So you know about them too." Kaien asked.

"Not really, just a little." Ichigo gestured it with his thumb and forefinger. His expression turned grimmer and Ukitake couldn't help but feel that it would be a long time before the boy could accept everything.

The two Shinigamis stayed for a while with Ichigo until the boy's pale face had color again. They said goodbye for a while and Kaien promised that he'd be back even if Ukitake couldn't because of busy schedule.

When they left, it was already dusk. Ichigo used Zangetsu to dig the soil beside the house and put a cross there even though there would be no body to bury. He marked it as her tomb, a remembrance of the life, or the afterlife, that she had in the outskirts of District 32. He didn't weep anymore. He didn't even sob.

"I promise I won't cry over every single thing anymore, Baa-chan. So you don't have to worry that I will drown myself in my own tears and die beside you." He let the corner of his lips twitch a little, a ghost of a smile that he used to have when he was little. "I will become stronger, stronger and stronger until I can protect those who are important to me."

'_**You better get stronger, King. Or I'll devour you from the inside out.'**_

'_I suggest you don't scare our master.' _The familiar voice of Zangetsu spoke.

"_Zangetsu? Who is the other one?" _Ichigo's eyes widened when he heard a different voice from the one that saved him earlier. It seemed there was another person inside his mind.

'_**Tch, you don't even know the other part of your soul? How pathetic. What would your mother tell you.' **_Ichigo tensed. _**'She has someone like me too, you know. Inside her.'**_

"_What do you mean?" _Ichigo asked, a little dubious about believing the creepy voice.

**. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .**

"Ichigo-kun is a very special child." Ukitake said as he and his Fukutaichou shunpo'd towards the other 13th Squad officers. They weren't in a hurry because they knew that their officers were well-capable of protecting themselves and annihilating the two ordinary hollows.

"You've become quite fond of him, Taichou." Kaien grinned and Ukitake chuckled. "But yeah, for him to actually be able to produce such a strong reiatsu at such a young age…"

"Strong enough to actually attract three hollows at the same time." Ukitake nodded in assent.

"But Taichou, wouldn't it be dangerous to leave him there? I mean…" Kaien was trying to find the right words. "What if..?"

"You've become quite fond of him, Shiba-kun." Ukitake used his Fukutaichou's words against him and Kaien scowled. Ukitake just chuckled. "It'll be alright. That kid is strong. All we have to do is visit him from time to time and probably, train him to control his massive reiatsu too."

"And you're expecting me to do the task." It wasn't a question and Ukitake nodded.

"I believe that you'll be able to do the task with much satisfactory than if I would." Kaien agreed silently. Ukitake was much too soft to be able to train the kid hard.

"Very well then, I'll be his mentor!" He sounded and looked really excited that Ukitake knew his decision was right. If it all went well, Ichigo would be a Captain despite being young, if his enormous reiatsu, and not to mention his zanpakutou, was any indication.

"I just wish that he'll be able to move on." Ukitake sighed. "His eyes look so tired… It's like he's always been seeing people dying in front of him. It's not good for a child to have eyes like that…"

"In time, he'll open up to us…" Kaien voiced. Ukitake wished that as well.

**. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .**

Renji immediately knew that something had changed since the last time he saw the boy. Ichigo promised that he would play with them the day after but he never showed up. It had been two weeks since then and now, Ichigo stood in front of them with those warm and yet pained eyes of his. _Those eyes weren't like that two weeks ago… _Now he wondered what happened.

"Yo, Renji." Ichigo voiced the moment he saw the redhead. The other kid was meditating, or it seemed like it, in the clearing. He actually had no intention of ever coming to this place, but it would seem like he was abandoning his promise if he didn't.

"It took you so long to find your way here." Renji answered with a hint of bitterness. "What, you got lost around Rukongai for two weeks?"

Ichigo smiled a tad just as he scratched the back of his head. "A lot happened." Renji made a noncommittal groan and Ichigo sat beside him. "Where's Rukia?"

Renji glanced at him sideways. "You know that she's a noble. She can't be here every time. She just sneaked out from the guards that one time. She rarely comes here, you know." He then stood up and stretched. "And she made it sure to come back the next day after we met you, just to be forgotten." He was still irked that Ichigo stood up Rukia on their supposed promise. And the fact was, Rukia was grounded after that. She couldn't be here for a long time now. He glanced at Ichigo again to know if the other boy was at least feeling remorse, but the only expression he could see from Ichigo's eyes were loneliness. "I'll forgive you if you tell me what happened."

Ichigo looked up at him, weighing the redhead's words. It's not that he didn't want to tell Renji. It's just a little too painful for him still to talk about it. _But Renji and Rukia deserved the truth… _"My… baa-chan died… She was killed by a Hollow. When I went back home from here, she was already dead… My new guardian doesn't want me to go to far places…"

Renji gulped. He immediately felt guilt for blaming Ichigo about Rukia's absence when the kid actually experienced hell that day. Of course, it would be too much for him to actually play the day just after his grandmother's death. It would be too much to feel at ease and not cry when he saw the other kids having fun and he's not. "Sorry…" He mumbled.

Ichigo scowled. "Idiot, that's not your fault. If only I was a lot stronger…"

"And who's the idiot now, Strawberry?" He smirked and Ichigo's scowl deepened. "You know that's not your fault either. The fault is the Hollow's who had the audacity to come here in the first place."

"Oh, are you trying to make me feel better, Pineapple head?" Ichigo stood up as he smirked. Renji growled at the nickname and in a second the two of them were rolling on the grass fighting. Ichigo had the advantage because for the past two weeks now, Kaien had been with him, trying to train his Shinigami powers against his wishes. _He didn't want to be a Shinigami… He didn't want to ever see that brunette man again…_

"Stop it, you two!" A voice so familiar and yet not heard for so long stopped them in their tracks. Renji was biting Ichigo's left arm while the latter was pulling Renji's hair tightly with both hands. Rukia stood not far from them with a frown on her young Kuchiki face. "How immature."

Ichigo pulled out his tongue on Renji's direction before he stood up. Renji snorted as he brushed his clothes off some dirt. Rukia noticed immediately that something had changed in Ichigo since the first and the last time she saw him.

Back then, she knew that the boy came from a well-lived family, even if he wore tattered clothes. But now, it seemed Ichigo's clothing was something else entirely. It had the air of elegance and grace, just like the boy himself. Renji, on the other hand, was the total opposite. He was muscular, though not that much, and Ichigo was slender. Renji was taller and also dirtier-looking, not that she minded it. Rukongai was not an ideal place where children learned what cleanliness was. It was a place where they learned to survive without relying on someone else. It was a place where poor children, especially those with reiatsus, were suffering because of hunger and threat that Hollows caused.

Ichigo gave her a friendly nod and Renji grinned as he put his arms over his head in a lazy manner. "Say, shall we hunt our foods for the day?" Rukia grinned and Ichigo looked at them both, clearly confused as to what they meant. Renji noticed this and snickered. "Well, it seems Strawberry-chan here doesn't know how to hunt down his own food."

Ichigo growled. "Stop calling me that! It's enough that Kaien uses that name on me every time! You don't feed me so you have no right!"

"Kaien?" Rukia's eyes slightly widened. "Do you mean Kaien-dono from the Shiba Clan?" At the mention of the clan's name, Renji's eyes also widened.

"Kaien Shiba. Yes, that's him." Ichigo scowled. "That idiot thinks that–"

"You idiot!" Rukia hit him on the head even before he could finish his sentence. "Don't use such vulgar words when talking about a noble! Do you want to be punished!?"

Ichigo caressed his head, clearly in pain from the hit. "Kaien always, always punishes me, but not because of that reason. He punishes me if I slacken in my training. He punishes me if I don't finish the food. He punishes if I got into street fights. But not when I call him Kaien, or any other names for that matter."

"Are you close to him then?" Renji asked. From Ichigo's testimony, it seemed Kaien was Ichigo's guardian. _No wonder the boy looked elegant, in his own way. _"No, let me rephrase that. Is he your guardian?"

Ichigo looked thoughtful for a while, and his newfound friends waited for his answer quietly. "No, Kaien is… uh, a mentor, or something like that. My guardian is Juushirou-san," his two friends' eyes widened as they let out a gasp. "Though he only visits me twice a week. Kaien visits me at least every other day." He refrained from calling Ukitake by name alone, courtesy of the punishments he received from Kaien – running five laps all around 32nd District, washing all the clothes that they wore, or worse, planting ornamental plants encircling his house. _He never really liked flowers, any kind of them._ But he refused to call Kaien with any honorifics, even if he was made to carry pails of water from river that was too far for him, making him kneel in a meditating form for hours and hours without moving, and for ruffling his hair over and over until it was stuck all over the place. _No, he refused to call Kaien by any name other than Kaien!_

"Cool." Renji smirked.

"How did you meet such powerful Shinigamis?" Rukia wondered in amazement. "Kaien-dono is the Fukutaichou of the 13th Squad, and Ukitake-san is his Taichou. Such powerful Shinigamis don't just wander around Rukongai. Are you related to any of them, or in any of the other Shinigamis for that matter?"

"No, I met them only two weeks ago." Ichigo's eyes darkened a bit though he tried to hide it after a second too late. Renji immediately understood because the orange-haired kid explained it to him earlier. _So those two were the new guardians he talked about…_

Rukia noticed Icigo's change in reiatsu and knew that it would be better not to ask anything, and so she changed the topic. "Will you be playing with us? We're about to explore the market in the 78th District again."

At first, Ichigo didn't know what 'explore' meant. But as he and the other kids, at least six of them, were running for their lives, away from the vendors that they robbed from, he immediately knew that it was a very, _very _bad term. Rukia did not join the robbing part because his older brother would kill her if he found out, not to mention that the reputation of their whole Clan would go into ruins. So she always settled on watching from the sidelines or cheering from afar.

"What the hell!" Ichigo exclaimed as they ran. The other kids were running behind them and he was in front, beside Renji. Both of them were slightly panting and dribbles of sweat were running down their foreheads.

Renji laughed despite being exhausted. "It's fun, Ichigo! It's how we've lived until now, stealing from the vendors at the market!"

"Really?" Ichigo panted. He didn't know these people were much poorer than he was. Up until this time, he was fed by his baa-chan, and now by Kaien and Juushirou. The foods Kaien made for him weren't as good as his baa-chan's, because it seemed the guy wasn't used to cooking much, but it didn't mean that he wasn't eager to eat it. He always liked homemade food, _as long as it's edible._

He had joined their group for some months now. He had gotten used to what they were doing, much to his surprise, and was now in league with Renji, though stealing was still something he didn't do much. He would help them in their escape, beat some of the people who wasn't the vendor that they stole from, and sometimes acting as lookout. They were times when he would watch them from the sidelines, just like Rukia did. He didn't want to really steal directly, because Kaien and Juushirou would not really get mad. _They would be upset, or worse, disappointed in him._

He wasn't always with them though, only during the times when Kaien and/or Juushirou weren't with him, especially not when Juushirou was in his house. It's not that he feared being seen by them. He just felt that Juushirou's visits were seldom so he shouldn't just disappear when he knew the older man would visit. Kaien was always, always there so it was hard to escape him. _And Ichigo knew better than to try._

Some hours after the run, Ichigo and the other kids would encircle a bonfire that Renji made. It usually ended like this, peaceful and comfortable.

Rukia was eating happily but elegantly, just like the noble that she was. Renji was eating some toasted potatoes voraciously and Ichigo, who was not really that hungry, chose to let most of his food be given to the other kids. He was not underfed in any way and it would be cruel if he would eat the foods that other kids sweated on getting. After several more minutes, most of the kids were happily snoring in their quarters even thought it was still dusk. Renji, Ichigo, and Rukia were the only ones left outside.

"I have to tell you something." Rukia suddenly interrupted the silence. Both Ichigo and Renji looked at her serious expression with unease. "I don't think I will be able to join your group most of the time now. Nii-sama said that I will have regular home lessons about different things starting tomorrow and it will not be good if the mentor tells nii-sama that I wasn't around."

Renji's face looked pained for a while before he tried to quickly dispel it. "But isn't that great, Rukia? I mean, you'll be closer to your nii-sama's knowledge once you start your lessons." Rukia looked at him before she smiled.

"You're right." She answered as she sighed.

"It's not like we won't be seeing one another anyway, right?" Ichigo added. "You'll still be here once in a while. And you'll still be as welcome here as always." She brightened at those words and the tenseness of her shoulder relaxed.

Renji knew more than to be jealous by now. In the first few months, he really was always jealous by the sudden closeness of Ichigo and Rukia, but now he could see that Ichigo was far too naïve and innocent to think of such things and Rukia only saw him as a close friend and a brother. Renji also saw Ichigo as such and thus the feelings of jealousy were always neutralized.

"Anyway, do you think that the seldom times that you'll be here is anywhere near the future?" Renji asked, trying to hide the fact that he didn't want to not see Rukia for a long period of time. Ichigo could see through him though, and Rukia too.

She stood up and crossed her arms over her chest. "Idiot Renji! Of course!" And they all knew that that's not true.

Rukia's first priority had always been her brother, and everything that her brother said. If he wanted her to study all her life without stopping, she would gladly do it just to please him. These months made Ichigo learn many things about his friends: namely, Renji's first and only crush had been Rukia, ever since they met accidentally in this very forest some years ago when she was lost, and Rukia had always wanted to prove herself to her nii-sama. But it seemed the guy was as cold as ice and didn't even recognize the efforts in her works. He always ignored her, even her very existence. He was a very stoic and stern man who valued nothing but rules and honor and dignity of the Kuchiki Clan. And even though Ichigo had not yet seen him, he knew that he would not like that person. _He, whose loved ones had always been stolen from him, wouldn't understand a man who didn't give any care about the precious people in his life. _

"Just make sure to still remember us, okay?" Renji was not a very emotional person, at least not outside. But he wanted nothing but to pout and beg her not to leave.

"Of course, Renji." She smiled again, though it was strained. It was dark now and she knew she would have to come back to the Kuchiki manor soon. Renji and Ichigo noticed this and stood up as well, each offering their goodbyes. Rukia hugged them both tightly before she looked at their warm eyes. "I'll see you two next time then."

"Ah." Ichigo answered just as Renjui answered, "Of course."

And Rukia never showed up in their little hideout again. At least not any time soon.

**. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .**

It had been eight years, and yet the idiot still wouldn't budge. Kaien sighed. "Are you sure you don't want to be a Shinigami, Berry-chan?" He was seated at the slope of a grassy training ground, watching as Ichigo lazily trained with his sword. He wasn't taking his training seriously again.

"Like I said," Ichigo swung his sword in front for the nth time now. "I have no intention of ever becoming a Shinigami." He now looked like he was eighteen, and it seemed his aging had stopped, at least for now. He now measured just a mere foot below Kaien but the guy never got over his nickname, or the annoying habit of ruffling his hair whenever Ichigo was off-guard.

For four years, he and Renji had grown considerably close, or at least as close they would get with all the quarrelling and sparring. Rukia showed up about three times a year but her visits were always not more than four hours. And her bright demeanor when she was small was replaced with such seriousness and determination that Ichigo knew was etched through her lessons. _She had grown up…_

That incident four years ago, however, made both Rukia and Renji leave Rukongai and live in Seireitei to train and become a Shinigami.

.

.tbc.

.

**Ren-sama's Note:**

**Yeah, I know Byakuya still isn't in this chapter (though he was mentioned.) But please don't be too upset. He will be here… soon. And beware for more character deaths… I really don't want to do that, but it's how it is. Review? ˆoˆ**


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

_It was a sunny afternoon, Rukia visited and Ichigo hadn't seen Renji so happy for a while now. It was a very much peaceful and nice afternoon, at least until they all heard the piercing shriek of Hollows not far from where they were. _

_Their friends immediately knelt on their knees at the massive reiatsu that the Hollows, apparently two of them, possessed. All three of them, who had high spiritual awareness, immediately froze, especially Ichigo. All his encounters with Hollows always ended up with someone close to him dying._

_The events were so fast that somehow, in just a blink of an eye, the Hollows were already in front of them, shrieking pitifully in a voice they couldn't fathom. Renji was the first to recover. He immediately grabbed both Ichigo and Rukia by the arm and ran for it. _

"_Wait, Renji!" Ichigo immediately struggled from his friend's grip. "The others!"_

_As if by cue, all the other kids started coming out of their little hideout one by one. Renji's eyes widened. "Idiots! Get inside!" Generally, Hollows only went for souls with high reiatsu, so Renji was convinced that if they went inside the house, all the Hollows would chase were Ichigo, Rukia, and him, who were all high in spiritual awareness._

_But the damn kids just had to come after Ichigo and the others, fearing for their own lives inside the little hut. One of the Hollows gripped the two kids with both hands while the other turned to Ichigo's direction._

_The three of them could only watch in horror as the other Hollow swallowed their little friends one by one as the other Hollow went for their direction. _

"_Run!" Ichigo shrieked in agony as the other two little kids tried their best to run away from the grasp of the huge Hollow, but in vain. He still couldn't summon his sword at will but he tried his best to convey the urgency in the name that he uttered. "Zangetsu!"_

_And before he knew it, there were already two disintegrating Hollows in front of him and behind him were his two shocked friends. All the other kids in their group were eaten by the two Hollows except them. His whole body was trembling uncontrollably as he held the enormous zanpakutou with both hands._

_In the background, he heard Rukia started to sob for the loss of their friends and from the soft thud on the ground, he was sure that her knees just gave out. Renji immediately knelt beside her and consoled her, though he was still very badly shaken too._

_Ichigo's face was stony, though he was trembling. During the time with his mother's death, he was already unconscious when the Hollow ate her soul. During the time with his baa-chan, he was already too late to see it. It was the first time he saw it, how a Hollow ate souls. It was hideous, their friends' screams still echoed in the air and his mind still kept on re-winding how the Hollow opened its huge mouth, with many layers of teeth inside, and swallowed the kids one by one. It was frightening, horrible, and sickening to say the least. _

"_Ichigo," Renji called him quietly. He heard it, but his body seemed to have stopped from responding. "Oy, Ichigo!" From Renji's voice, Ichigo knew that he too was crying._

_He slowly turned around, zanpakutou still tightly clutch with both hands. Renji was indeed kneeling on a softly sobbing Rukia and was looking at him with pained expression. He slowly strode towards his two friends and knelt, or rather collapsed, beside Rukia, zanpakutou fell with a soft thud on the ground._

"_Are you alright?" Renji asked his friend. He knew that the question was pathetic because he himself wasn't alright. But he still had to ask, just to ease Ichigo's pain and fear a little. He already knew that Ichigo's death was from a Hollow, his mother's death was because of a Hollow, his poster grandmother's death was also because of a Hollow, and now, even his precious friends' death was because of Hollows._

_He looked at the huge zanpakutou of his friend. He would've berated Ichigo for not telling them about it if the situation wasn't so horrible. Ichigo's reiatsu was immense and was fluctuating wildly, mirroring the intense emotion inside him. He hadn't thought that Ichigo was such a powerful person, a prodigy for being able to summon his zanoakutou at such a young age. Not even normal Shinigamis could do that. They often needed training at the Academy first, and there were even those who were still having a hard time summoning their zanpakutou even with such trainings. _

_Ichigo's fringe covered his stinging eyes as he looked down on the ground. He promised his baa-chan he wouldn't cry anymore. He promised that he would be strong, strong enough to protect those he loved. And yet… and yet he failed again…_

"_Ichigo, if you think that it's your fault, you better stop." Renji said in a serious, almost cold tone. "Because if you think that way, then it means that Rukia and I are as much responsible for their death as you are." Ichigo looked at him, clearly on the verge of crying, both of them were. _

_The redhead patted his shoulder quite harshly before he squeezed it. It was a small thing, but it made the tightness in his chest lighten a little._

_Rukia had ceased from sobbing and was now trying her best to hide her tear-soaked face with the sleeve of her kimono. Without any word, Renji hugged them both. Ichigo was surprised and Rukia just melted from the touch, still raw from crying. "I'm glad that both of you are here, still with me."_

_They remained like that for hours, and after they thought that they could already stand, they made mounds for their friends and put crosses on top, to remember them, even if there were no bodies underneath. The place that they chose overlooked the 78th District of Rukongai, a grassy cliff that was blessed with fresh air and bright sun. _

_They stared at the crosses bearing their four friends' names, and right there and then, Renji said in his hoarse but steady voice, "I promise, I will be a Shinigami and avenge your deaths."_

_And Rukia followed. "I will too. It's a promise."_

"_I'll stay outside Seireitei and watch over their tombs." Ichigo said, directing his speech to Rukia and Renji, who only nodded in return._

It had been four years ago, and yet Ichigo still couldn't help but feel that he was weak. He was still too weak. And that's the reason why he refused to live with anyone anymore. He didn't want to witness any other Hollow victims anymore. He lived in isolation for two years now, in the outskirts of the 78th District. It took some time convincing Kaien and Juushirou but he was still able to. They used the grassy plain in their training and Ichigo was much contented living here.

"You're slacking again!" Kaien shouted over his shoulder and he immediately resumed in his training.

He had never seen both Renji and Rukia since then. Those two had surely become closer, or so he hoped. And without warning, Kaien charged at him with his so-called 'intention to kill.' Ichigo's talent was honed now that even if he was spacing out, he was still able to dodge Kaien's attack using shunpo. He learned it through Juushirou and not Kaien. His mentor wanted him to learn it all by himself, and certainly not use it in trying to escape, but to fight.

The two exchanged blows for a while before retreating in a shade.

"You two seem to be getting better and better." A voice they knew so well made both of them turn. Ichigo grinned when he saw Juushirou and Kaien immediately stood up and bowed in respect before he smikred.

"Ichigo still has lots and lots to learn." He voiced, though Ichigo had basically surpassed him. He knew that the kid was now holding back every time the two of them would fight, and Kaien still had to give his all to not lose. Hell, he would not even be bragging anymore if he said that Ichigo had a Captain class reiatsu, though it rarely showed because of all the years of teaching the kid on how to control it.

Ichigo was basically powerful, but without any form of control. And thus, the harsh trainings. And after some years of struggling, the boy barely even let his reiatsu slip. _Hell, he couldn't even feel anything anymore. _That's how powerful Ichigo had become, though he still hadn't tried fighting Ichigo to the point that the kid had to let out all his power. _He knew he would die if that happened._

Ichigo scowled at Kaien's words while Juushirou chuckled. "Aside from that, how are you these days, Ichigo-kun?"

"Uhm, okay… I'm okay." He smiled one of his rare smiles that was reserved only for his guardian. Kaien rolled his eyes. Ichigo was such an angel when Ukitake was here and yet he's the demon's pawn when the two of them were alone, not that he minded. Ichigo was more fun to be with when he's a little mischievous than when he's an angel.

They all sat and Juushirou brought out the things he was carrying, three packs of lunch. Ichigo brightened and Kaien grinned. They both liked Juushirou's cooking.

"So, how's the new recruits?" Juushirou asked as they ate in companionable silence. Kaien looked at him before he answered.

"They're very energetic." He grinned. "Unlike someone I know who slacks often."

Ichigo scowled. "I'm not slackening!" He knew Kaien was pertaining to him, if that grin of his was any indication. Juushirou laughed and Kaien's grin widened.

"Who said it was you?" He arched an eyebrow at Ichigo. "My, my. How defensive."

Ichigo's scowl deepened. By now, it's his normal expression so Kaien just let him be. Juushirou and Kaien, just like always, used their spare time to discuss some Shinigami business that Ichigo had no care about. He just ate in contentment as he listened half-heartedly.

After a while, Kaien and Juushirou already said their goodbyes to him. Ichigo waved back and was about to retreat in his little hut when Kaien was suddenly behind him and ruffled his hair once more.

"Hey!" Ichigo immediately tried to break from his strong grip but was in vain. Kaien laughed and Juushirou too, much to Ichigo's embarrassment.

"You've grown up, Berry-chan!" Kaien smirked. "Make sure to prepare for next time. The training will be much harsher." Ichigo snorted at that.

And he and Juushirou were gone.

Ichigo kept scowling for a while, but when they were already out of sight. He smiled as he touched his hair. He liked it, though secretly, how Kaien ruffled his hair like that. It was a very comforting feeling, though it was also embarrassing.

He sighed before he entered his house.

'_You haven't called me since then.' _Ichigo knew that voice all too well.

He sighed. _"It's not that I don't want to call you… It's just…"_

'_**Still as pathetic as always.'**_

"Shut up, Hollow!" Ichigo voiced loudly. He had long learned that the other voice inside his head was in fact a Hollow, though no one knew of Hichigo Shirosaki's existence except him. Not even Kaien or Juushirou, especially not Renji and Rukia, not that they were able to talk to one another after that mournful afternoon.

Shiro, Ichigo knew, was concerned for him in his own way, so he didn't fear his own Hollow too much, though he had yet learned to control his Hollow power. At best, he was neglecting it, at worst, he feared it. Everyone he loved was killed by Hollows, so it was hard for him to accept that he was partly one.

'_**That's what I say about you being pathetic, King.'**_

"Shut up, and stop reading my mind, Shiro." Ichigo rarely used his Hollow's name, but when he did, it meant that he was serious.

'_**Fine, fine. But don't go around moping every time you're alone. It's annoying. You know very well that Zangetsu and I hate rain.'**_

'_It rains here a lot.' _It was Zangetsu's voice this time. Ichigo sighed as he closed his eyes.

When he opened them again, he was already surrounded by tall buildings which were gravity-defying and horizontal. The surrounding was damp. It meant that it just rained here, again.

'_Ichigo.' _Zangetsu, a middle-aged man with long flowing black robe and brown sunglasses looked at him solemnly. It was his normal expression, just like how Ichigo's normal expression was a scowl. His hair was a shoulder-length wavy brunette and the color of his eyes was hidden by the glasses that he wore.

"Yo, Zangetsu-ojii-san." He answered and immediately ducked when he felt Shiro's sword almost cut him in half horizontally.

'_**It seems that annoying guy taught you something useful after all.'**_

"Are you trying to fucking kill me!?" Ichigo exclaimed when he recovered.

Shiro merely grinned, the creepy grin that was his signature, as he swung the sword over his shoulder. _**'No, King. Of course not. I'd be damned if I kill you.' **_He looked like Ichigo that sometimes the teen felt that he was looking at a mirror, except that Shiro's eyes were gold and not chocolate in color. And his hair was white, not orange. He wore a Shihakusho, the official Shinigami uniform. Only, his clothes were white, just like his whole body, and not black.

The Hollow was born together with him, just like Zangetsu was. Shiro told him that his mother also had her own Hollow inside her, though Ichigo didn't understand it at the time.

Shiro was also another reason why he didn't want to be a Shinigami. Shinigamis hunted Hollows. If the Shinigamis learned that he had a Hollow inside him, then what would become of him? Not to mention the contempt that Juushirou and Kaien might receive for taking care of him. Of course, the other reason… was because of a certain brunette Captain whose name he couldn't even remember. It had been sixteen years after all. He was just a boy then, a boy whose only trauma was the death of his mother and his own death. He was an eighteen year old now, at least that's how his body looked like, a teen whose worries and fears were far too numerous to be named.

Ichigo rolled his eyes at his Hollow's annoying antics. He was used to Shiro's attempts to cut him every time he visited in his own world. It was the world that only he could see or live in. It was also the place that he always found himself retreating every time the memories and the guilt would get too much to bear. Zangetsu (and Shiro, sometimes) comforted him when he was here, and those two were his strength and his power.

'_Shirosaki, it's better if you stop doing such reckless things.' _Zangetsu said in his monotone voice, so unlike Shiro's high-pitch creepy one.

"I think I'll be staying here for a while." Ichigo sat on one of the buildings. He remembered the first time he went here, not by his own accord of course. He sat at the building and saw, to his panic and shock, that he was sitting on the building's wall and not on the floor.

He explained it to Kaien one time and the older Shinigami merely laughed, saying that his world was a reflection of his identity. And even now, he still couldn't understand why his world was made of horizontal buildings and silence that stretched for eternity. Everything was so still and lifeless, so hard and cold. And yet Zangetsu lived here together with Shiro. _Maybe it was because he too was hard, cold, and lifeless?_

'_**You know, it's annoying every time you think of pathetic things.' **_Ichigo opened his eyes again, not realizing he closed them, and looked at Shiro's annoyed expression.

'_Ichigo, it's best that you stop thinking of things that weigh you down and things that weakens your heart.' _Zangetsu voiced again. _'Instead, think of things that will make you stronger, things that will strengthen your resolve, and will definitely make you move on.'_

"Sorry," Ichigo smiled sheepishly at his two companions. He inhaled before he lay down the wall of the building. "It's just that… I think sometimes I'm still too weak."

'_Comes with great power a great responsibility.' _Zangetsu voiced. _'You need not rush things, Ichigo.'_

'_**Apparently, King here thinks that it will be the end of the world if he wouldn't be able to protect someone.' **_Ichigo glared at him, but he just continued, ignoring his master. _**'Even if everyone dies, the world will still continue to exist. Time will still continue.'**_

Ichigo snorted. He hated it every time Shiro would be in Lecture-mode. Of course, a creepy Hollow lecturing him, a kid whose loved ones were killed by a Hollow? _Preposterous. _But that didn't mean that Shiro was wrong. Ichigo was far too mature now, far too engrossed in Juushirou and Kaien's teachings, to not accept another's well-grounded advice.

"Anyway, let me sleep here for a while." He said just as he let his body relax. He heard Zangetsu and Shiro's voice just as he drifted into sleep.

'_Of course.'_

'_**This is your world.'**_

**. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .**

"W-What do you mean 'gone'?" Ichigo asked, his heart starting to feel silent panic. He was training earlier when Juushirou showed up with a very mournful and anguished expression.

They were seated in a small table, the tea already cold in front of them. Juushirou closed his eyes, not really wanting to repeat the same words all over again. "Shiba-kun, your mentor, has passed away."

Ichigo felt his chest tightened as he fisted his hands tightly. He watched the total agony in Juushirou's expression and he knew that his death was something tragic. He wanted to ask how, but he suddenly couldn't find his voice. He willed himself to stop trembling and break down in front of Juushirou.

Kaien hadn't shown up ever since that afternoon. It had been two weeks since then and just as he was happy to actually see Juushirou, this news was broken to him. It was painful to lose someone who had been with him for eight years now, someone he had grown close to, like an older brother. _And Kaien just had to die before fulfilling his promise of harsh training…_

He closed his eyes. "H-How did he..?" He didn't need to continue. He was sure that Juushirou would understand.

The older man looked at Ichigo. The teen was taking it a little too calmly and he was afraid that Ichigo was breaking inside without anyone to lean on. He stood up and walked towards Ichigo. The teen looked at him with sorrowful expression and the older male knew he was right. He sat beside the boy and held his tanned hands.

"Shiba-kun's wife, Miyako-san, was sent to investigate some Hollow activities the day after we last saw you." Juushirou started, voice just slightly trembling despite the deep pain that clenched his heart. "She came back the afternoon after, alone and weak. All the others aside from her were killed. That night, a massacre happened. Many of my subordinates were killed by an unknown someone and it was too late when we realized that it was her who killed them all. The Hollow Metastacia used her body and resided within her, using her to eat more souls. After that, Shiba-kun willed himself to kill Miyako, just for the sake of preserving her dignity as a Shinigami."

Ichigo felt his heart constricted at the story. "It's just like Baa-chan…" Ichigo knew Kaien's wife Miyako. Sometimes, when Kaien came in Ichigo's house, she would also visit. Sometimes she would cook for Ichigo while her husband and the boy were sparring. It was like having a mother all over again, though no one could replace his real mother so he just treated her like an elder sister. _And much to Kaien's amusement, he also called her by name without any honorific. _Miyako was too kind, way too kind for Kaien as Ichigo always teased. She was honorable and strong, despite being tender and warm. She's the third seat, but her influence wasn't limited to that. _For her to be possessed must be so hard for Kaien to endure._

"Yes, it is." Juushirou answered Ichigo's words. "Shiba-kun chased after her and ended up in some forested area in Rukongai. Kuchiki-san and I followed after them but when we arrived, Shiba-kun was already engaged in a fight to at least recover her body. We could not do anything because it was his fight. He was fighting for his wife's honor, and we mustn't intervene. But in the end…"

Ichigo somehow had the gist of what happened. He closed his eyes as his grip on Juushirou's hand tightened. "In the end, the Hollow consumed him too. And, with the last of his will, he purposefully stabbed himself with Kuchiki-san's zanpakutou. Kuchiki wasn't the one who stabbed him. It was him who thrust himself through the sword that she held. He sacrificed himself just for Metastacia, the Hollow that killed his wife, to be slain. Even now, Kuchiki-san blames herself for what happened to him, even though it's entirely my fault…" He said as he let his tears fell one by one.

Ichigo's heart broke even more at the sight of his beloved guardian breaking in front of him. He immediately hugged Juushirou and the older man leaned on him for support as he cried for the first time ever since it happened. He cooped everything up inside him in order to proceed to proper investigation and everything else that was needed to be done after that. His subordinates didn't need a leader that would break in front of them. They needed to see him strong. And he maintained his façade up until this afternoon.

By now, Juushirou was far too exhausted and far too broken to care if he was sobbing in front of the boy that he should have been comforting instead. He was far too anguished by the deaths of his subordinates and his lieutenant to even care about his pride as a Captain. He knew Ichigo wouldn't judge him by that. He knew that with Ichigo, he could cry his heart out without any shame. _Because Ichigo was his son._

"It's not your fault, Juushirou-san. It's not anyone's fault, except the Hollow's." Ichigo's voice was hoarse and was trembling a bit, but it was alright. He drew circles on Juushirou's back with his palm, calming his beloved guardian with all his might. He remembered Renji's words once, and now he truly believed them. _This was not Juushirou's fault, or anybody else's for that matter. _"It never was your fault and never would be."

Juushirou continued to sob. "But I am the Captain, Ichigo… I should've felt that something was wrong with Miyako-san that afernoon… I should've prevented it…"

Ichigo didn't know what to say to that. He had experienced that as a child, and he knew that no matter what he would say to Juushirou now, the older man would still think that he was at fault. It was disheartening. And now he wondered if this was his father's feeling while consoling him, utter agony at the sight of his son blaming himself for something that was entirely out of his control.

'_**Now you see, King? Every time you blame yourself for something, this is how other people feel for you.'**_

"_Shut up, Shiro."_

He didn't know how much time they remained like that. But when Juushirou finally let go of his hakama, it was already passed dusk outside. The older man's face was still tear-streaked and Ichigo immediately stood up and took a towel to give to his guardian. Juushirou took it and started wiping the tears off his face, though his face was still basically red and his eyes sore from crying.

Ichigo reheated the tea and gave it to Juushirou afterwards. The older man murmured thank you before accepting it.

"Thank you, Ichigo-kun…" Juushirou voiced after a while. Ichigo tried to smile in return to at least make Juushirou feel better but all that came out of him was a sad grimace. He couldn't smile. _Not when one of his favorite person just died on him… not when Kaien hadn't fulfilled his promise of not dying on him…_

"He broke his promises to me, Juushirou-san…" He voiced after a while. "He promised to train me harsher the next time we meet… he promised not to die on me…"

Juushirou put the cup of tea down and looked at his poster son. Ichigo was still not shedding any tear. _He was cooping it up inside…_

"Ichigo-kun, you can cry on my shoulders too." He smiled sadly. "Let's not make Shiba-kun worry too much by holding everything inside us…"

"I promised… not to cry anymore…" Ichigo closed his eyes to prevent the traitor of a tear to come out. He gulped as the agony inside him intensified with his action.

Before he knew it, Juushirou was beside him again, comforting him by ruffling his hair gently. It wasn't how Kaien did it. Kaien's way of doing it was brash, just like him. Juushirou's hands were more gentle and kind. But both of them were nevertheless comforting. He looked down and leaned on Juushirou's shoulder.

Juushirou felt the silent trembles from his son's body. He felt the warm wetness on his Shihakusho, but he didn't say anything. He continued ruffling Ichigo's hair, not because he always saw Kaien doing it. But because he always saw how Ichigo felt comforted with this small gesture. _It was the least he could do…_

.

.tbc.

.

**Ren-sama's Note:**

**Yeah, I know that it was already the fourth Chapter and yet still no ByaIchi goodness. But let's not hurry things up. Please review!**

**And Please don't kill me for killing Kaien… T_T**


	5. Chapter 5

**Ren-sama's Note: **

**Thank you for your reviews! I love them all! Now, this is the next one! ˆoˆ**

**.**

**.**

**Chapter 5**

"Are you sure?" Juushirou asked again, looking hopeful. He couldn't believe his ears and he felt like a child so was given his birthday present in advance.

"Of course." Ichigo smiled. It had been a while since the older man saw that smile. It was already three months after Kaien's death, and since then, Juushirou had been trying to ask Ichigo to live with him as his adopted son. And right now, it was the first sunshine that reached his heart.

Ichigo was much too glad that he was able to make Juushirou happy with his decision. The older male had been sickly these past few months, clearly still broken by Kaien and his other subordinates' death. Ichigo was willing from the start to live with the older male. The only things that held him back were the same reasons why he didn't want to be a Shinigami. _Juushirou's house was inside his barracks in Seireitei… in Seireitei, there was…_

But after months of seeing how Juushirou tried to cope up with the loss all on his own, Ichigo couldn't help but feel awful with his hesitation. And thus, he decided to give it a try, living with those Shinigamis. He didn't know how Juushirou convinced the soutaichou, whoever he was, to let someone like Ichigo to live inside Seireitei even though he wasn't a Shinigami.

Juushirou was so happy to hear that Ichigo finally agreed. It was a pain in the ass trying to convince the soutaichou to let his adopted son live in Seireitei after all. Many of his subordinates were really delighted to meet the boy but Kaien had always banned them from meeting Ichigo. Juushirou and Kaien both knew that Ichigo was a solitary person, someone who was wary of new acquaintance, especially after the death of his friends. _And now Kaien too…_

Juushirou promised the soutaichou that Ichigo was someone with strong spiritual pressure and awareness too even though he was not trained in the Academy. Soutaichou still had to convince Central 46 after that, and it was really a good thing that those people agreed.

And thus, the happiness he had right now knew no bound.

The two of them were welcomed inside the gates of Seireitei by a person named Jidanbou, who looked at Ichigo suspiciously, not wanting to let him in first. But when Ichigo used his natural charm unconsciously, talking to Jidanbou and assuring him that he was not an enemy or a ryoka for that matter, he was let in without much problem.

"There are only few people who can convince Jidanbou." Juushirou chuckled. Ichigo felt like it had been a while since he last heard it. _And he found out he missed Juushirou more than he thought he did. _For the past months now, Juushirou had buried himself to work and visited Ichigo lesser. The boy suddenly felt a pang of longing and he clutched his zanpakutou tightly for support.

Juushirou noticed this and spoke. "Your zanpakutou… it's as tall as you are now." Ichigo saw in the older man's eyes that he was remembering their first meeting, where the sword was twice Ichigo's height.

The teen couldn't help but smile too, though sadly, because that was also the time when he first met Kaien. "I have a question I've wanted to ask."

"What is it?" Juushirou asked kindly, and Ichigo hesitated a little. He didn't want to make Juushirou remember everything again just when the older male was trying to cope up. But he wouldn't be able to continue if he didn't ask it now.

"This… this Kuchiki person… is she in the 13th Squad barracks right now?" He asked. Despite his fear that Juushirou would get upset, he didn't. The older male merely shook his head.

"She's wallowing in guilt and anguish that I sent her in the living world two days ago." Juushirou answered sadly. "I was trying to convince her that it wasn't her fault, but she would only bury herself in depression more. So I decided to let her rest for a while."

"In the world of the living, huh…" Ichigo mused. "Where?"

"In Karakura Town." And Ichigo stiffened visibly, making Juushirou stop on his tracks and look at his son with worry. "Is there something wrong, Ichigo-kun?"

"Ah, no… it's just… Karakura Town sounds… familiar..." He answered silently and Juushirou immediately understood. He knew about Ichigo's background as a child in Karakura Town and also the details surrounding his death because he looked it up in Seireitei's records. He also saw the death of his mother two weeks before Ichigo's own, and Juushirou didn't look into the record anymore, not wanting to find any more depressing news regarding his adopted child.

"Karakura Town is where you lived your life." Juushirou quietly said, not wanting to hide that simple fact from the teen.

"I see." Ichigo answered. Juushirou ruffled his orange hair again and the teen's stiff shoulder slowly relaxed. By now, Ichigo measured up to Juushirou's jaw and it was not cool to ruffle his hair like that. But it seemed Ichigo didn't mind so he still did it. It both reminded them of Kaien and it was comforting.

Juushirou sighed. "I'm actually worried about her. I first thought that Karakura Town will be something of a rest for her. But it seems there is a high level of Hollow activity going on at that place… Too many people with high spiritual energy perhaps…"

Ichigo looked down. He now wondered what happened to his father and his younger twin sisters. He didn't know what he could do. He could only hope that this Kuchiki girl would at least protect his family. _Now that he thought about it, Kuchiki was also Rukia's family name… _He now wondered if this girl was Rukia's sister or something, though she once told him that she only had one sibling, his stuck up nii-sama. _A cousin perhaps..? _Just as he was about to think about it, his gaze met the grandness that everyone called Seireitei.

Ichigo's first reaction on the place was _what the fuck? _No wonder many poor people in Rukongai hated the Shinigamis. Everything looked elegant and perfect. Every path, every corner, and every infrastructure was magnificent and clean, grand and quiet. It was the total opposite of the crowded streets of Rukongai where some areas smelled awful and others smelled of other people. This place reeked of nothing but spirit particles, of pure and absolute power. It was too powerful that no normal people would probably be able to stand living here without collapsing everyday from the intense spiritual pressure.

They walked in comfortable silence as Ichigo tried to remember the ways that they were walking in futility. Everything looked so damn similar that he wasn't sure he'd be able to get out on his own in this maze-like empty street.

Juushirou glanced sideways at his adopted son. He was not-so-silently proud of Ichigo's achievements as a very young person. _The boy was a prodigy, a one of a kind prodigy. _He had managed to beat Kaien in not more than one sparring sessions without pushing his limits. He had mastered many kidou techniques and could now utter such power without incantation on lower number hado. And he also bet that Ichigo's shunpo would not be a second rate either. And he was a master at concealing his reiatsu, now that Juushirou noticed. _Ichigo's presence was silent, so silent that no one would even think that Juushirou had someone with him right now…_

Although, many of these achievements he could entitle to Kaien's great mentoring and caring, not to mention his boundless patience. Ichigo was way laid-back on his own even though his determination was unwavering.

Looking at his son now, he could feel his old age again. Ichigo was just a little child barely measuring up to his waist when Juushirou first saw him. But now, the boy, no, the teen measured up to his jaw that in a few years, maybe decades or centuries, the teen would probably grew as tall as him and finally become a man. His eyes were a combination of childhood innocence that made him all the more appealing but they already had the hint of maturation, from constant exposure to death and trauma that Juushirou wished he could erase. He felt that Ichigo was still too young to have eyes that looked haunted despite the warmth and kindness that they had.

Despite all those things though, Ichigo remained a handsome teen that Juushirou was so sure the Shinigami Women's Association wouldn't get tired of drooling over him. He had slender physique, but not to too much because of his constant training. He had sun-kissed skin, those bright spiky orange locks that he was sure female Shinigamis would love to touch and ruffle, just like Kaien had done. And those charming chocolate eyes overruling everything. _He just wished those hungry women, and men, would leave his son alone so Ichigo wouldn't have any more trauma… albeit a different kind._

While Juushirou wore his usual black shihakusho and white haori with the Chinese number thirteen on its back, Icigo wore a simple black male's yukata with intricate pink and red shapes – mostly little diamonds and branching lines – as designs. It was long enough to cover the sole of his feet and only revealed the geta underneath.

Juushirou was forced out of his musings when Ichigo looked at him, arching an eyebrow. By now, the older man already knew what that meant.

"Nothing, Ichigo-kun." He smiled kindly at the silent question. "I just wish you can get comfortable in this place." Ichigo nodded in assent. "And please don't be scared when one or two… or maybe twenty Shinigamis try to jump you out of nowhere. It happens to all the popular souls all the time." He chuckled at the pale expression on Ichigo's face. He knew that his son was not good at dealing with other people because of his solitary nature and he mostly he had no experience in dealing with women. So far, the only woman Ichigo had to deal with in Rukongai was his Baa-chan, Kaien's wife, and the noble girl he sometimes talked about.

Ichigo cleared his throat as he scowled. His guardian was surely enjoying his reaction too much. "Anyway, are we still far?"

"We can use shunpo to get to the 13th Division but I don't think you will remember much of the way if we did that." Juushirou chuckled, letting the previous topic drop off. Ichigo just smiled at him as he gazed at many things, or rather, at walls that looked the same no matter how many times they turn right or left. He inwardly sighed. He didn't think he'd remember it anyway even if they take their time walking, though the scene was somehow comforting, so quiet and calm.

After a while, they reached a different corner where a huge gate with two wooden doors bearing the Chinese number thirteen was located. Ichigo marveled at the grandness of the thing. The walls were higher and he could almost hear some noises inside.

"This is the 13th Squad Barracks." Juushirou introduced quite proudly. Ichigo thought that they would get inside but they didn't. "My house, from now on your home too, isn't far from here." Ichigo smiled at that and Juushirou chuckled once more.

They walked some more until they reached Juushirou's humble home. It wasn't huge and mansion-like but it was comfortable. They went inside silently and Ichigo sat in seiza in front of a small table in the living room.

Juushirou went to the kitchen and when he came back, he was already carrying a teapot and two cups. The two of them drank tea silently and let themselves relax.

"This will be your home from now on, Ichigo-kun." Juushirou said after a while. "What do you think of it?"

Ichigo exhaled. "It has a relaxing atmosphere. Where will I be training, by the way?"

Juushirou chuckled before he stood up and opened a sliding door over-looking a small garden. "Though it's a lot smaller than your training ground in Rukongai, you can train here." The older male smiled sheepishly when he realized that fact. "And if you want, you can train in the thirteenth Squad barracks."

Ichigo politely shook his head. "No, here is fine." He took in the sight of the small but beautiful garden. The sun was already setting and the peaceful air was thoroughly relaxing.

"As aloof as always." Juushirou teased and Ichigo grinned.

"No, I'm not!" He answered in a playing tone. "I just don't want to be jumped." Juushirou laughed at that and Ichigo followed after some seconds.

**. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .**

"Juushirou! I heard your adopted son arrived here yesterday! Can we see him?" A middle-aged looking man with long curly brunette locks tied in a ponytail was grinning at Juushirou when he opened his door. The brunette man wore pink flowery haori with a hat on top of his head that he tipped on one side with one hand. Behind him was a beautiful woman with orange hair and blue eyes, though those features were drowned by the most obvious one – the huge bosom. She looked gleeful. Beside her was a ragged-looking man with huge body and muscles. He had black pointy hair with bell decorating every tip. He had an eye-patch on one eye and wore a manic grin. He was also a Shinigami, with white haori indicating his position as the Captain of the Eleventh Squad. On his back was a little girl with pink hair and bubbly attitude.

"Shunsui," Juushirou sighed. "And the others." It was so early morning and these people were already swarming in his house. Ichigo wouldn't be so pleased to be surrounded by so many gawking people at once.

"I heard that he's pretty good-looking, Ukitake-taichou." The woman beamed in excitement. "As part of the Shinigami Women's Association, I was assigned to at least take a picture of him!"

"I heard that your son is stronger than a lieutenant, is that true?" The brusque asked.

The girl on his shoulder giggled. "Kenny wants to fight him!"

Juushirou held back the urge to face-palm. _And he thought that Ichigo could rest in this place… _"We have a Captain's meeting, right?" He tried to bring the topic away from his son. "Shouldn't we all be readying to go there now?" He too was dressed in his Captain uniform.

"Ehh!?" His friend Shunsui was being extremely stubborn today. "But we want to see him now, Juushirou!"

"He's still asleep." He sighed again. "You can visit him later." They all looked like they wanted to argue but Juushirou was quick. He was not a Captain just because of his looks. In that short time after he uttered the words, he was immediately outside the house and had already pushed the others away from the door and onto the road. "Let's go to the meeting now."

And that was that.

**. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .**

He swung his sword once more, quite contented that he had found this place so easily in Seireitei. Who would've thought that there was such a huge forest inside the grand place? Ichigo swung his sword again. It had been a week since he first entered the place, but he had yet to see someone aside from his guardian.

_It seemed such a nice place after all…_

Of course, it was unknown to him the great lengths in which Juushirou tried to dissuade anyone who'd try to even come across his path. He was using his best everyday just to make sure that no one would try to sneak in their territory and harass his son.

Ichigo saw the setting sun and thought that he already did enough for the day. He set down his sword and sat beside a tree's roots while leaning on its wide trunk. It was quiet and peaceful. This was solitude. And it wasn't that bad. He closed his eyes and drifted off into a memory that instead of bringing comfort had been bringing sadness and sorrow to him for a while now.

"_Idiot!" Kaien shouted when another explosion broke the peace and silence of the forest. He immediately darted down to the young boy who had managed to blow the kidou on himself instead of firing it._

"_Don't call me idiot!" Ichigo shouted back. "Do you know how hard this is?"_

"_That's what the training is all about, you strawberry brat!" Kaien shouted again, but was immediately using a healing kidou to treat the wounds on Ichigoi's right hand and arm. Ichigo scowled as he let himself be treated. "Ichigo, how many times do I have to tell you, do don't have to impress me by not reciting the incantation at all. You can do it once you get more experience. But for now, citing it is very important."_

"_Tch, I'm not that weak, Kaien!" He whined. He knew he was acting like a child, but this was Kaien and Ichigo knew the older man wouldn't mind. "And you do it all the time!"_

"_I have years and years of experience behind me, brat!" He answered just as he finished healing Ichigo. He stood up and helped Ichigo stand up as well. "Like I said before, without citing the incantation, your kidou will not be powerful at all. Or worse, it will not have the desired effect that you want it to have. Kidou spells are triggered by incantation. You're a beginner and your kidou will not be effective without the–" _

"_Bakudo No. 4: Hainawa!" A yellow colored rope immediately trapped a log not too far from their position and sealed its movement, not that it would want to get away._

_Kaien glared and Ichigo scowled even more. "–incantation. You have to be able view the words in your mind and etched them in your heart to be able to master it."_

"_But I already know how to do it without the incantation, Kaien!" He whined again. "I don't like reciting nonsensical things during battle!"_

"_You only have mastered it in single digit spells! But those digits hardly have any effect on stronger Hollows, do you hear me? We will continue to spar while you recite the spell." _

_And Kaien immediately vanished, much to Ichigo's annoyance. He was not good at tracking down reiatsu and Kaien almost always used it against him._

"_Tch, Kaien, I hate you!" He shunpo'd away from where he was just as a Byakurai hit the spot a second after. "No, I despise you! Do you want me to get killed!?" He only heard Kaien's laugh from a distance and his scowl deepened. "Kaien, you idiot!" _

He woke up with a start when he realized there was another reiatsu in the place. The sky was dark now and he was sure he slept for more than an hour. Now, he was sure he's not alone in the forest anymore.

"Bakudo No. 61: Rikujokoro." Ichigo's eyes widened just as he shunpo'd away from where he sat, barely avoiding the six thin beams of light that would have slammed into his midsection and bound him.

He narrowed his eyes when his sense registered a not-so-friendly Taichou-class reiatsu in the premise. Kaien drilled into him the fact that learning to read another's reiatsu would be a very huge advantage in battle, not that he would want to try it right now.

"Who are you, boy?" A low husky voice rang and Ichigo found himself immediately face to face with none other than a Taichou. He stilled as he gazed at the figure in front of him.

The man had a very cold and stoic demeanor, a steel gray eyes and shoulder-length silky raven hair. He wore a shihakusho and a white haori on top, indicating that he was indeed a taichou. On his hair were white _curlers? _Ichigo's eyebrow twitched at the thought that a Captain this cold and hostile would wear curlers. _And whether he would admit it or not, the man surely had the looks. _He had pearly white skin, and it surely looked really smooth and soft. And he carried an air of dominance and regality. _And now Ichigo was sure this one was a noble._

_The same air as Rukia, though a lot colder and superior._

"Sorry, but I don't give my name to strangers." Ichigo answered after a while of scrutinizing. He could see that though the man did not look it, the noble taichou was irked.

"I believe you have no right to brag in this place, boy." The noble raven answered, colder than earlier and Ichigo had to fight back a shiver. "If you know what's best for you, you _will_ answer my question."

'_**Just kill him, King!' **_Shiro immediately sensed the annoyance of his King.

'_Ichigo, don't listen to him.' _Zangetsu voiced. _'Shiro is just annoyed at the moment because it's raining here.'_

"_Sorry, Zangetsu-ojii-san, Shiro." _He voiced inside his head. He heard his Hollow grunted in reply and he felt Zangetsu's warmth. He couldn't help the rain. _He just dreamed of the happy times with Kaien earlier…_

Ichigo sighed. He really didn't want to fight anyone right now, especially a taichou who looked and felt really strong. Juushirou would get upset. "My name is Ichigo. Ichigo Kurosaki, Juushirou Ukitake's adopted son." He answered to the earlier question. He still used his original surname even though Juushirou had basically adopted him because he felt that it was the only connection he had with his biological family now. And the older male also didn't want to take that away from him. _It was a very precious surname… and he was thankful he was able to remember it despite his muddled memory._

The raven's eyes narrowed, as if doubting Ichigo's words. The boy didn't look like he was lying, nor did he look like he was saying the truth. The raven's cold gaze darted on the teen's hair that was swaying with the slight breeze. It had a very bright color of orange and the raven had never seen anyone with that hair before. The boy's chocolate eyes showed that the boy was irked at him, mirroring his current emotion to the orange-haired teen. He looked at the boy up and down before he spoke again, this time with less hostility but still unfriendly. "You better go home, boy. You are not allowed in the Shinigami training ground because you are not one."

Ichigo scowled. Couldn't the man ask him to leave in a more decent way? And from that moment on, Ichigo decided. _This man was a bastard. _"Hn." He grunted before he immediately walked away, not wanting to prolong any stupid conversation with the annoying man.

He went home using a shunpo and was surprised to see too many people inside his home for his liking. They were all circling a low table and were all seated in a seiza. Juushirou immediately caught his eyes and the older male looked really apologetic. Ichigo accepted the apology silently though he wasn't really offended, just annoyed.

Juushirou could immediately see his son's discomfort at the sight of many people inside their humble home. But he couldn't do anything anymore. He could only prohibit them for a week. After that, well, they decided that they wanted to go and see Ichigo whether Juushirou liked it or not. Currently present were Shunsui Kyouraku, of course, the Captain of 8th Squad, Rangiku Matsumoto, the woman from the last time and also the lieutenant of the 10th Squad, the other Captain from last time, Kenpachi Zaraki, and his lieutenant Yachiru Kusajishi, and of course, Juushirou's two third seats, Kiyone Kotetsu and Sentarou Kotsubaki. The two didn't want to be left out from seeing their beloved Captain's beloved son.

They all looked at him and Ichigo slightly bowed his head, recognizing their presence in the living room, before he disappeared into the bedroom to change from his training clothes to a comfortable kimono.

"He's not a very sociable person, is he?" Rangiku pointed out, pouting. "Well, after some time, I'm sure he'll open up to us."

"Taichou, your son is very handsome!" Kiyone immediately blurted out.

"What?" Sentarou immediately pushed her aside. "Don't steal my line!" He turned to Juushirou. "Taichou! Your son is very pretty!" Everyone looked at him meaningfully. "Of course in a manly way! In a manly way, Taichou!" Kiyone growled and the two immediately started their daily banter.

"But I thought he'd be stronger than that." Shunsui stated, holding a bottle of sake. "I can scarcely sense any reiatsu from him, you know." Juushirou beamed, proud of his son's achievement. Ichigo used to be so incapable of hiding his massive reiatsu, to the point of drawing too many Hollows to himself, much to Kaien's annoyance and enjoyment. The two used to train with those Hollows too after all.

But now, Ichigo could control and hide his reiatsu almost unconsciously. If he willed it, no one would be able to feel his presence at all, even at a close proximity. Kaien was really a great mentor, and with a talented student, things had gone the way it used to be. Ichigo became a lot stronger, and would even get stronger after some time.

"You look happy, Juu-chan." Yachiru chirped. "Is it because you think Shun-shun is wrong?"

"Hey." Shunsui never really liked that nickname. He started opening the lid of the sake and poured an amount to each of the cup in front of them. Kiyone and Sentarou ignored it and continued with their bickering.

"As for me, I don't care whether I can sense anything from him or not. If it's true that he's strong, then I'll fight him!" Kenpachi exclaimed with a wide grin.

"Oh no, you won't, Zaraki-taichou." Juushirou warned. "I will not allow my son to–"

"Chichi, where's my other geta?" Ichigo appeared from the other room and Juushirou visibly blushed. He was still not used to Ichigo calling him that. He was Ichigo's guardian for eight years now but it was only recently, about a year ago, that he decided he wanted to formally adopt the teen as his son. Even though Ichigo didn't want to use his surname, because the teen thought that it would earn him some raised eyebrows, the boy was still very much happy to be his son. _And Ichigo calling him 'chichi' was always a good experience!_

Shunsui arched an eyebrow as he grinned, not missing the reaction from his best friend. Ichigo didn't look like he saw the blush that formed on his chichi's face, though it could also be because he was already used to it.

"It's in the dojo, I think." Juushirou answered. Aside from the house, a small dojo was located at the backyard and Ichigo used it once when the weather wasn't good.

"Thanks." He left. Shunsui and Rangiku immediately teased the white-haired taichou and Juushirou blushed even more. It felt good to be called like that even though Ichigo wasn't really his son. But he had no son and he was happy to be called a father.

When Ichigo returned, Kenpachi immediately introduced himself, explicitly saying that he wanted to spar with Ichigo. The teen grinned before he refused. "Maybe next time, Kenpachi. I was really tired from training."

Kenpachi grinned. "You better remember that you promised that, Ichigo."

"Wow, Kenny gained a new friend! Ichi, you're Kenny's friend now so I'm your friend too!" Yachiru chirped happily as she sat on Kenpachi's lap.

The rest of the group was formally introduced to Ichigo and the latter seemed a little more comfortable sitting with them at the table, much to Juushirou's relief. Though Ichigo received a suffocating bosom hug from Rangiku the moment they were introduced, saying that Ichigo looked really cute much to his chagrin, the teen had managed to stay alive and had been wiser to sit at least two meters away from the overly enthusiastic female.

And Ichigo had, for once, momentarily forgotten the reason why he didn't want to be close to another soul ever.

.

.tbc.

.

**Ren-sama's Note:**

**Please don't forget to review! ˆoˆ**


	6. Chapter 6

**Ren-sama's Note:**

**Thank you, everyone! Your reviews really do wonders to my heart! This is the next chapter! I hope you enjoy this one too!**

**P.S. I called Juushirou 'chichi' because his 'oto-san/father' is Isshin. It's so that things will not be confusing in the future. Also, I'm truly sorry for the slow update. My work is kind of my priority so I don't have much time doing this. And for those who fear that I might abandon this fict, don't worry. I'm not that kind of writer. **

**Anyway, enjoy! ˆoˆ**

**.**

**.**

**Chapter 6**

Juushirou immediately looked up from his paperwork when the door slammed open and went shut again, signifying that someone entered. He blinked as he stared at the figure of the young man that entered his office with much hurry.

"Ichigo-kun, is there something wrong?" He asked, looking at his son's scowling feature.

"Chichi, can I hide here for a while?" Ichigo asked. When Juushirou gave him a raised eyebrow, he continued. "Kenpachi has been trying to attack me relentlessly ever since this morning and the Shinigami Women's Association keeps on pestering me for an interview. Those women even sorted out to using bakudo against me…" He was muttering now and Juushirou couldn't help but smile.

It had been a week since Ichigo's first meeting with the others and by now the older male was already used to Ichigo trying to hide from everyone. Kenpachi had been trying to gage him to a fight ever since that day and had been attacking from almost anywhere, day or night. Ichigo measured only up to the huge man's chest and everyone feared for the teen's safety. And then there's Rangiku and the other powerful Shinigami women trying to at least take a picture of his son to make it in the front page of the weekly magazine. There were also other Shinigamis wanting to at least take a look at him. Shunsui wanted to make the teen a drinking partner too even though he already had Juushirou for that role.

The white-haired male already refused Shunsui's offer for his son many times before. His reason wasn't because he never trusted his friend, but because he saw what happened to Ichigo when Kaien tried to make him drink sake one time.

The boy had a low level of alcohol tolerance and it was a bad thing when combined to the fact that he loses all control when drunk. That time had been the first and the last time he let Ichigo drink until he was drunk. The teen's massive reiatsu suddenly flared up that time, attracting too many Hollows, when he unconsciously lost his control over it. Thankfully, Kaien and Juushiru were not that drunk and were both able to kill all the attackers. Now, a cup or two was the limit he set on the boy.

Aside from Shunsui though, other shinigamis also wanted to make him their friends, clearly enamored by the fact that Ichigo was popular among the other Shinigamis. Juushirou'd complained about it to soutaichou once but the old man merely dismissed the matter casually.

"Your aloof and solitary attitude is attracting them to you even more, you know." He said as Ichigo sat in a near table, making himself comfortable.

"I'm not aloof." Ichigo scowled. "I just don't like crowd." Juushirou shrugged as he smiled, letting Ichigo win the argument.

A loud explosion of walls followed up by a massive reiatsu which could make an unseated officer faint was felt in the Division, and Juushirou immediately stood up and put a stop to the annoying habit of the 11th Division Captain.

He walked over the room and slid the door only to come face to face with the person he was about to scold. "Where's Ichigo?" Kenpachi grinned. On his back was Yachiru clearly unfazed by the massive reiatsu that her Captain was emitting at the moment because of too much excitement.

"Zaraki-taichou, please learn to control your reiatsu. You're giving harm to my subordinates." Juushirou said as he immediately turned around only to see that he was alone. Ichigo had already escaped. He beamed. "And Ichigo-kun isn't here, by the way."

"Ichi keeps on running away, Kenny." Yachiru spoke.

"Where did he go, Yachiru? Lead the way." Kenpachi seemed undeterred by the situation at all. In fact, it seemed that his enthusiasm knew no bound at all.

"Of course!" Yachiru answered happily. "I'm sure he went there!" She pointed at the pathway where they came from and Kenpachi followed immediately.

Juushirou sighed. Kenpachi sucked at sensing another's reiatsu that he always relied on his lieutenant to do it. _Didn't he know that Yachiru sucked at giving direction?_

Ichigo, on the other hand, had managed to get at least a kilometer from just two or three steps and was now heading directly towards the training ground beside the Soukyoku Hill where Juushirou said that criminals were executed.

He made sure that no one was in a two or three kilometer radius before he sat down and closed his eyes. When he opened them again, he was already in his inner world.

'_**It's been a while since you went here last, King.' **_Shiro grinned, his arms crossed over his chest and was sitting quite comfortably on one of the buildings. Zangetsu, who was merely standing straightly with a solemn expression, gave him a nod.

Ichigo nodded to both before he sat as well. Sometimes he wondered why his inner spirits had a very opposite demeanor. Zangetsu was quiet and calculative, poised and elegant. Shiro, on the other hand, was loud and brash, strong but creepy.

'_**Hey, I can hear that!' **_Shiro exclaimed from his seat. Ichigo merely grinned._**'Why do you always favor Zangetsu? Don't you know that Zangetsu and I are just one person?'**_

Ichigo arched an eyebrow at that and Zangetsu closed his eyes and cleared his throat, still wearing a serious and solemn expression, implicitly giving his dissent. Ichiro laughed at that and Shiro scowled.

'_It rains lesser these days, Ichigo.' _Zangetsu changed the topic. Shiro nodded and Ichigo looked relieved.

"I'm glad to hear that." He answered.

'_**It looks liked those annoying pests have their use after all.' **_Shiro said in his usual guttural screeching voice. Then, as if remembering something, he suddenly looked thoughtful, quite unlike him. _**'Hurry up and get stronger so you can use my power too, King. And then you can make that huge brawl-addict see who the superior one is.'**_

Ichigo's chuckled before his eyes narrowed and his smile disappeared. "Someone's near." He closed his eyes and when he opened them again, he was already back in the forest. He stood up and looked around him for the source of the three reiatsus that he felt right now. They were all quite strong, but not quite taichou-class just yet.

A rustle of bushes made his eyes narrow. And before he knew it, a figure had immediately charged at him from behind using a shunpo. Ichigo was not trained by a lieutenant for nothing though. He used his speed and used his opponent's strength against him. The moment his opponent reached him from behind, Ichigo grabbed his garment and tossed the attacker over his shoulder and onto his feet, giving Ichigo a full view of the figure. But Ichigo didn't wait for the figure to recover. He immediately put his palm over the figure.

"Hado No. 31–"

"Wait, Ichigo!"

Ichigo looked down fully at the opponent and blinked when he saw red spiky pineapple head scratching his butt from the fall. "R-Renji?"

"Yo!" Renji raised a hand half-way and grinned before he stood up and dusted himself off. Ichigo scowled when he realized that Renji was still taller by at least a foot than him, and more muscular too. And he held the urge to arch an eyebrow when he noticed that Renji had too much tattoo on his body now. "Man, Strawberry. I didn't think you'd be this brutal to your friends! I thought you don't remember me anymore, man!"

Ichigo's eyebrow twitched. "And who told you to just go and attack me from nowhere?" His eyes narrowed before he looked at the two figures that came out when he attacked Renji. The two were still on the position of defense. One of them was a skinny blonde male while the other was a short raven female.

Renji saw this and grinned. "Ah, Ichigo. These are Fukutaichous Izuru Kira of 3rd Division and Momo Hinamori of the 5th Division. Kira, Hinamori-san, this is Ichigo Kurosaki, the friend from Rukongai I was telling you about."

"Oh." Kira said as both of them relaxed in their stance. "Uh, nice to meet you, Kurosaki-san." He gave the orange-haired teen a meek smile.

"Nice to meet you." Momo bowed politely before she beamed.

Ichigo nodded to both of them. "Nice to meet you too."

"So, what are you doing here?" Renji immediately exclaimed. "I was wondering earlier if I was imagining things when I saw you taking a nap here! Are you studying in Shinigami Academy now?"

Ichigo scratched the back of his head as he chuckled. "Ah, no actually. Chichi, I mean, Juushirou-san formally adopted me a year ago and two weeks ago he decided that I should just live here with him."

"You're the one they keep talking about!" They all turned to Momo who immediately covered her mouth with her hand and blushed. "Uh, sorry for being rude."

"It's okay." Ichigo turned to Renji. "Where's Rukia?"

Renji sighed. "She's dispatched to the living world for two weeks now. I was about to surprise her with my promotion too…" He muttered the last part.

Ichigo understood immediately. Of course, that would explain why Renji was together with other fukutaichous. "So you're a fukutaichou now?" He looked amazed before he grinned. "Wow, Renji! I'm sure Rukia will be happy to hear that! You can tell her when she comes back."

Renji seemed to have recovered and grinned too. "Of course! I was exactly thinking of that!"

"In what division are you fukutaichou of?" He asked again.

Renji scratched the back of his head before he grinned sheepishly. "Rukia's nii-sama, Byakuya Kuchiki, the Taichou of the 6th Division." Ichigo scowled again. _So it was the man he saw that other time… _The guy surely looked like Rukia, and also had the same air, not to mention the description that Rukia always told them – cold and stoic, aloof and quiet, and very, very powerful. "I see you've perfected your scowl even more." Renji grinned.

Ichigo growled. "Shut up, Pineapple head." Kira and Momo looked amused as Renji started lashing verbally. It seemed there was someone out there after all who could make the redhead lose control, and that someone was the stoic son of Juushirou Ukitake.

The two started their daily verbal assault before Kira tried to interrupt them. After a while, they were all seated on the ground and eating Momo's homemade packed lunch. Ichigo and Renji shared because Momo only brought three, of course not knowing that they would meet someone else today. They chatted comfortably, though Ichigo rarely joined in the conversation and was contented in listening to the three fukutaichous talking animatedly to one another.

"Anyway, when and how did you learn kidou, Ichigo?" Renji asked after a while when he noticed that Ichigo wasn't participating in the conversation. "I still suck at that, you know, even though I'm already a fukutaichou."

Ichigo looked at Renji but his eyes were distant. "I had a great mentor." Renji stopped midair from eating and glanced at the friend that he hadn't seen for over four years now. Ichigo had a faint smile on his lips, though it was pained.

"_Hado No. 4: Byakurai!" Ichigo immediately dodged to the left, barely avoiding the pale lightning shot that immediately incinerated the grassy spot where he was just a few moments ago._

"_Hey, what was that for!?" He shouted. _

"_You suck!" Kaien shouted back as he smacked Ichigo on the head. "How many times do I have to tell you to hide your reiatsu!?"_

"_That's easy for you to say, stupid Kaien!" He shouted and immediately regretted his words when several Byakurai were shot in his direction. "He–Hey! Watch it!" He ran using shunpo. He was already fast enough to dodge it, but his vision was not yet used to the blurring vision in front of him, causing him to trip. He immediately cursed under his breath as he sat._

"_You impolite snot!" Kaien appeared above him. "Learn to control your stance too! You're fast but you're reckless. And you have poor posture! Make sure not to trip pathetically next time you want to run away! And make sure to remember all the incantations I told you. You have to memorize them. We will train with kidou next time."_

"_That's too many to do at once, Kaien!" He whined._

_Kaien narrowed his eyes. "You will not play until you do it. Remember that you have a very strong and unusual reiatsu, making the Hollows attracted to you. And because of that, you have to at least know how to defend yourself. Understood?"_

_Ichigo half scowled half pouted. And Kaien arched an eyebrow, barely containing his amusement. "You're a slave driver, Kaien." And with that, the fukutaichou immediately laughed out loud._

"Ichigo," Ichigo snapped out of his thoughts and looked at Renji. The latter had a worried and also pained expression. "You're not blaming Rukia for Shiba-fukutaichou's death, are you?"

Ichigo blinked at him. "Wha–What are you..? Why would I blame Rukia?"

Renji's wore a strange expression. He couldn't say it. It was clear that Ichigo did not know. Kira watched as Renji struggled to tell but it was Momo who beat him in telling the orange-haired teen. "Kuchiki-san was the one who put an end to his life."

Ichigo looked at Momo so sharply the small female visibly flinched at the sudden cold gaze. Renji noticed this and immediately went to the rescue. "Ichigo, Rukia didn't want to do it either. She had grown really close to Shiba-fukutaichou in the 13th Division. But he wanted to die as a Shinigami and she was the one–"

"Renji," Ichigo voiced quietly. "You don't have to say it. I understand." _How could he be such an idiot..? _Of course the Kuchiki that Juushirou was talking about could be Rukia, but it didn't even enter his mind until now. He knew the story, and he knew that Rukia was not to blame. But it didn't change the fact that Kaien was killed…

"Ichigo, I know I have no right to say it because you really loved Kaien." Renji said, remembering how Ichigo used to tell them how 'annoying' Kaien was, though he had a very fond expression on his face every time he would tell them about the older male. "But please, don't blame Rukia. She's already blaming herself enough as it is. She's afraid to face you too, you know."

Ichigo sighed. "I don't blame her. Kaien will yell at me if I do. And besides, the one to blame was the Hollow."

"Anyway, Kurosaki-san, why don't you go to Shinigami Academy? You have a zanpakutou, and a very big one at that, and you know how to use kidou. You will be a seated officer, you know." Kira observed, also effectively changing the topic. The blonde was sure that Ichigo was strong, maybe even stronger than Renji, just from the stance he saw the two did earlier. He was sure that if it was a serious fight, Renji would have been badly injured by now. _That_, or he was already suffering the _sweet _gaze of Unohana-taichou, the Captain of the 4th Squad.

"I don't have any ambition of becoming a Shinigami." He shrugged. "And I don't like working in groups."

"You see, Strawberry is a loner." Renji grinned at his two friends as he patted Ichigo's back a few times. Momo chuckled and Ichigo scowled at him, the most anticipated reaction, but he didn't answer. Kira sighed.

"So, Kurosaki-san, what do want to be then?" Momo asked, and Ichigo's answer, if he ever would, was interrupted by a rather immense display of suffocating reiatsu. It felt like the gravity had tripled, pulling them down on their kness, and Kira immediately knelt beside Momo to cover her from the power. Renji was doing his best to not kneel and Ichigo immediately ran to the nearby tree where Zangetsu was leaned and took it. The three watched him in amazement, because he's the only one who could stand up even at the pressure of the immense taichou-class reiatsu.

"Sorry, guys." Ichigo voiced as he looked at his companions. "Renji, nice meeting you again, but Kenpachi is on to me these past few days and it will be good if I run now. That bastard keeps on pestering me. See you." And he immediately vanished, leaving Renji, Kira, and Momo in shock.

"ICHIGO!" A loud voice immediately snapped their attention from Ichigo and turned to the approaching gigantic reiatsu.

"Z-Zaraki-taichou?" Kira voiced as he recognized the immensity of the presence. "But…"

And the Captain in question immediately appeared from behind the bushes and shunpo'd in front of them. The reason for his immense killing urge, excitement. Renji stared at the Captain of the 11th Division, not knowing if he would be scared for Ichigo or laugh at his friend for getting the attention of the most troublesome brawl-freak in the entire Seireitei.

"Kenny and I are chasing after our friend Ichi." Yachiru, who was still perched on Kenpachi's shoulder, talked. "Do you know where he is?"

"And don't you dare try to give a false direction, dimwits. I'll kill you!" Kenpachi grinned.

The three of them gulped before they all shook their heads. Ichigo just disappeared from his spot without leaving any trace of his reiatsu behind, not even letting them know where he went. Renji bit his lower lip. _"Sorry Strawberry, you'll be on your own for a while."_

Kenpachi looked grumpy, but he didn't interrogate them further. It seemed the teen had the audacity to hide from him. And he immediately disappeared from his spot, using a skilled shunpo, one of the skills the Captain had but didn't look like he was capable of.

When the suffocating reiatsu vanished, Momo immediately fell on her knees and coughed while Kira and Renji barely managed to stand up. The blonde helped the girl stand up too.

"Man, Ichigo sure knows how to run." Renji said as he looked at the two. "If he's able to hide from Kenpachi for some days now, then he's really far stronger than me." Kira chuckled, though nervously, still pretty much shaken by Kenpachi's display of power.

"I wonder how strong Kurosaki-san is." Momo voiced when she recovered, which wasn't really that long. She's a fukutaichou after all. "He can withstand Zaraki-taichou's immense reiatsu and didn't even look like he's affected by it."

"Like he said, he had a great mentor." Renji answered. And the three of them decided it was better off not mentioning Kenpachi's name again, lest the devil showed up once more. Renji might have been part of his Division but he had had no chance of even sparring with the Captain. His only mentor was the third Seat named Ikkaku Madarame and not even that guy was managed to be beaten by the red hair in a fight. And that third seat had barely lived after fighting against the Captain once upon a time in a street of Rukongai. Kenpachi was that powerful. _And the man didn't even know the name of his zanpakutou…_

**. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .**

"It's a nice night." Ichigo, who sat at the porch while watching the full moon, turned his head over his shoulder when he heard his guardian's voice. Juushirou looked really relaxed and way younger in his kimono. Ichigo wore the same outfit, though with a different color. Juushirou inhaled the night air and sat beside his son. "So you managed to get away from Kenpachi today too."

Ichigo snorted when the name was mentioned before he sighed. "That man never even lets me relax these days." He looked at Juushirou and knew that the older male wanted to say something. He didn't ask though. Juushirou would tell it if he deemed it necessary, even if it's the demise of this world. He would never try to keep Ichigo uninformed and blind to dangerous things just to protect him because Juushirou knew that Ichigo hated not knowing.

"Ichigo-kun, the soutaichou wants to meet you tomorrow, after we finish with the meeting." His guardian said after a while. "And the other Taichous too."

Ichigo furrowed his eyebrows. "Why?"

Juushirou sighed. "It seems they want you to be a Shinigami too." He looked apologetically at Ichigo and the teen merely shrugged, urging him to continue. "Rumor says that you're strong enough to beat a Fukutaichou and… uh, they want to know how much of that rumor is true…" He turned sideways to get a good look at his son. "Ichigo, you don't have to come if you don't want to."

"But it's the soutaichou, right? I'll go." Ichigo voiced as he looked at his guardian fondly. He, personally, had no sense of obeying someone based solely on their status, but he knew that it wouldn't be the same for Juushirou because the man was part of Gotei 13. His guardian wouldn't be able to disobey the soutaichou. "But going doesn't mean I'll join any of the Squads, or even go to Shinigami Academy."

"Of course." Juushirou smiled. He knew that Ichigo was only going because of him, but he still couldn't help but feel grateful that Ichigo even agreed. The boy hated being ordered around after all.

Morning came and Ichigo was starting to regret he ever agreed. Juushirou just came back from the meeting and fetched him. He told the older man that he could've just walked together with Juushirou earlier when his chichi went to the meeting, but the latter didn't want him to wait for too long.

As he and Juushirou walked towards the Meeting Hall, he could feel himself getting more and more nervous. He didn't bring Zangetsu because swords weren't allowed to be constantly carried around in Seireitei except when in training or having a duel. But that's the least of his reasons why he would get nervous. He was not that bad at shunpo, and not that bad either at kidou, based on his humble mindset. So there was no way he wouldn't be able to defend himself somehow. The reasons for his nervousness… First, that brunette Captain who killed a subordinate would surely be there. Then, Rukia's older brother would surely be there. And worst, Kenpachi would also be there. Not to mention Shunsui who wanted to turn him into a drunkard too. _Who knew who else would be there, what with all those strange and scary Captains that he knew? _There were thirteen of them, and he only knew five. _At least his chichi was sane._

They stopped in front of a huge door and it opened silently. The meeting was already finished so the Captains, it seemed, were chatting quietly. Their eyes all fell on him as he walked inside, behind Juushirou of course.

"Ichigo!" Shunsui greeted and swiftly flung his arms around the teen's shoulder. Ichigo's nose scrunched up slightly at the smell of alcohol coming from the other man. "It's been a while since we last saw each other!" Juushirou sighed at his friend's overly energetic way of trying to relax Ichigo though in vain.

The teen immediately saw different faces. Kenpachi was grinning at him. Rukia's older brother wasn't even recognizing his presence, the prick! _Or rather, the man with the curlers._ There was a silver-haired child too, one with emerald eyes and a scowl that could rival against Ichigo's. Then there was a huge Captain whose face was covered by a… a _basket?_ Ichigo wondered if the guy was far too weird to have such a sense of fashion. Then there was a grouchy looking woman who was looking at Ichigo as if he shouldn't be anywhere near her. All of them wore a Shihakusho and a white haori over it, though they obviously had different preferred styles.

"Heh, so this is the famous adopted son of Juushirou Ukitake-taichou?" Ichigo's eyebrow twitched at a Captain who had a strange hat and a white body, or was that paint? And hell, the way the man grinned was far too creepy for the teen's liking.

"Kurotsuchi-taichou, I suggest you stop harassing the poor boy." Another Captain, one with bluish-silver hair and a slit for eyes, was grinning. He walked towards Ichigo and bent forward as he held out his hand. "The name is Gin Ichimaru, the Captain of 3rd Squad." And his grin went wider. Ichigo looked at him and realized that the man was Kira's Captain.

"Ah, nice to meet you. I'm Ichigo." He was about to shake hands with Gin when another voice stopped him.

"Ichimaru-taichou, you shouldn't harass the poor boy as well." Ichigo's whole body froze. He might have forgotten that man's face, his name, his position, and even the face of his victim, but Ichigo would never forget that guttural voice, he would never forget that reiatsu that immediately overwhelmed his sense when the man approached steadily.

Shunsui, whose arms were still on Ichigo's shoulders, felt the boy stiffened when Aizen approached.

Aizen immediately saw how the boy stiffened at the sight of him, and he wondered if he met the boy somewhere. "Have we met before, Ichigo?"

The other Taichous were already looking at them, clearly surprised at the reaction. Aizen was known as the most charming and the kindest Captain of Gotei 13. If Ichigo was someone who was able to withstand Kenpachi, Shunsui, Juushirou, and even Gin's presence, there was no way he would cower at the sight of Aizen.

Ichigo didn't answer, however. He just stared at the Captain, stoned-faced and withdrawn.

"Ichigo-kun, is there something wrong?" Juushirou was immediately beside his son in a second. He was worried. He may not appear afraid to anyone, but Ichigo was clearly scared. His son was scared.

"N-Nothing, chichi." Ichigo broke the eye contact he had with Aizen when he gazed at his guardian before they returned again to the brunette taichou. "No, I believe we haven't met before." And with that, Juushirou knew that Ichigo had indeed met Aizen before this incident.

After a while, the soutaichou cleared his throat and stood up, asking Ichigo to follow him. Juushirou was about to protest but Ichigo smiled at him and shook his head before he followed the soutaichou.

"So, why do you think he was afraid of you?" Gin looked partly amused and partly curious as he looked at Aizen. The other taichous also appeared interested in his answer.

Aizen merely chuckled as he shook his head. "His reiatsu is familiar to me, but I don't remember if I have met him or not. Though I'm sure I haven't seen him before…"

Juushirou's eyes narrowed. His son wasn't even afraid of Kenpachi, the rowdy and freaky Captain of 11th Squad, and yet he's afraid of the calmest and kindest Captain. He would have to ask Ichigo later, that is, if the boy wanted to talk about it.

.

.tbc.

.

**Ren-sama's Note:**

**Review?**


	7. Chapter 7

**Ren-sama's Note:**

**Yeah, I know many of you asked why Ichigo is so afraid of Aizen in the last chapter. But that same fear is also prevalent in the real anime, right? When Ichigo realized how powerful Aizen is… Well, thank you for all your gorgeous, I may say, reviews! And thank you for liking (making it one of your 'favorites') my fan fict too!**

**This is the seventh chapter. Enjoy!**

**.**

**Chapter 7**

"I'll be frank. I don't trust any of the captains aside from chichi, Shunsui-san and Kenpachi, and maybe you, soutaichou." Ichigo answered straightly.

The soutaichou, Genryuusai Shigekuni Yamamoto, nodded. He just asked Ichigo if the latter wanted to join any Squad or at least train in the Academy, but the latter quickly dismissed it, saying those words. "Can I at least know why?"

Ichigo broke their eye contact and chose to stay silent.

Yamamoto was a calculative man, weighing down everything up to the last milligram. As he observed, the boy wasn't really afraid of him who was obviously more dangerous and more powerful than Aizen. And he made the decision to ask. "Does it have anything to do with Aizen-taichou, the man you fear?"

Ichigo's head snapped up and their gaze locked once more before the younger male quickly averted his eyes. "There's no need to answer that. I just don't trust the Taichous, that's all." He muttered.

"Ichigo Ukitake," Ichigo was about to voice the correction about the surname but stopped himself because of the look that Yamamoto gave him. "The reason I want you to train in the Shinigami Academy is because I fear that many of us don't trust you either. You live here, in the place full of Shinigamis, despite the fact that you seem to hate being a Shinigami."

Ichigo didn't like the soutaichou's tone so he immediately interrupted. "The only reason I live here is because chichi wanted me to. If you want me out, then I'll gladly do so."

"There's also the fact that Hollows seem to be attracted to your reiatsu." Yamamoto continued, not minding the insolence at all. He was far too old to listen to infants' attempts of being in control. "I believe that training in the Academy is by far the best choice you have to not endanger those around you."

"I don't want to go to Academy though." Ichigo answered truthfully. He hated the thought of ever studying together with other people. He hated being stared at just because he had a strange color of hair.

"I will not force you of course." Yamamoto could see the teen's discomfort at the fact that he was being forced to do something he didn't want. "I'm just curious as to how you can make use of your potential." The fukutaichou, who was up until now listening silently to the conversation, immediately looked at his captain. For the soutaichou to give such compliment to someone, it was either that person was extremely powerful or extremely intelligent.

"I'll think about it, though I cannot promise you anything." Ichigo answered before he bowed and turned around, heading for the door, when he stopped and turned around again. Yamamoto saw the indecision in the child's eyes, the quiet embarrassment, and then the resolve. "Uh, can I call you Yama-jii too? Chichi always calls you that every time he talks of you informally."

The soutaichou felt his right eye twitch. _And he thought the boy would ask something really important. _"You can call me _that_ if you become a Shinigami, akambo."

Ichigo scowled, almost pouted, at the nickname. "I'm not a baby." Yamamoto had to hold back the urge to chuckle. It seemed the boy was completely at ease in his presence, though of course the old man was constantly hiding his immense reiatsu from everyone because it would kill all those who were nearby.

In the hall, many Captains had left and only a few remained, such as Shunsui, Juushirou, the youngest captain and also the prodigy Toshirou Hitsugaya, the Captain of the 4th Squad Retsu Unohana, and Kenpachi.

"Your son's a let-down, you know." Kenpachi started. "I can't believe he's scared of Aizen of all people." Juushirou was about to defend his son's pride when Toshirou beat him into it.

"I believe we shouldn't just treat it as mere cowardice." Toshirou said in his low, cool voice. "He's not afraid of Ichimaru-taichou, or even you, Zaraki-taichou. It means that there's something more to it than mere cowardice in the face of strong reiatsu."

"I believe that Hitsugaya-taichou is right." Unohana added. "Even Aizen-taichou himself said that he somehow recognize the kid's reiatsu, though vaguely."

"And besides, to be able to stay in Yama-jii's Office for more than five minutes shows that he's not intimidated. I believe there won't be any conclusion to this unless Ichigo himself tells us the reason for his fear." Shunsui said, looking at Juushirou in particular.

"I agree to that. Anyway, I better be going." Toshirou said before he disappeared, using shunpo to go to his office.

"Tch, but that doesn't mean I'll stop chasing after him, Ukitake." Kenpachi grinned before he too left. Unohana bowed slightly to the two Captains before she left as well.

"Well, I believe you should ease his fear, Juushirou. Take him to a bar or something, or make him drink sake." Shunsui winked before he shunpo'd away. Juushirou sighed as he waited for Ichigo to finish his conversation with Yama-jii.

"Chichi," Juushirou felt himself blush at the name. Ichigo saw this and smirked. "You're still not used to it?"

The older male chuckled before he shook his head. "It's not that. I'm just happy."

Ichigo knew that Juushirou wanted to ask what happened earlier, but he didn't know if he would like his chichi to know. After all, Aizen was his comrade, and Juushirou would surely be torn between wanting to believe his son and wanting to defend his co-taichou. _No, he would never tell a soul… lest he wanted to endanger his chichi and his friends. _Aizen killed a Shinigami that night just because the man knew something, about information..? And he was sure that he had just gotten Aizen's attention earlier. _That _was not good.

He stayed at home that whole day, not even wanting to hear the immediate rumors that started circulating in the area – that Juushirou Ukitake's adopted son was a coward who couldn't even withstand Aizen-taichou's presence even though the Captain had the kindest and the warmest demeanor. _If only they knew what kind of man that Aizen was… _Couldn't anyone see how fake his smiles and kindness were?

And he thought he had the rough day. He was wrong when Juushirou walked inside the house and ushered him to a conversation as they ate dinner.

"Uh, Shunsui and the others will be having a drinking party tomorrow." Juushirou said. "This party will be held to welcome your residency in Seireitei, Ichigo-kun. And many Captains will attend…" He looked at Ichigo. "Uh… and… Aizen-taichou wants to attend too."

Ichigo froze, his chopsticks hanging in midair. His mind was reeling for any way out of that stupid party, but he couldn't see any. He could use any form of excuse, actually, but all would end up with a disappointed Juushirou and he didn't want that. He'd never let Juushirou be disappointed just because he couldn't fight his childhood demons.

He smiled meekly. "Alright."

Juushirou looked surprised for a while. He had not expected Ichigo to agree so easily. _Maybe they were reading too much about things…_

After their dinner, Ichigo went to the small dojo and sat there in a seiza and closed his eyes. When he opened them again, he was already in his inner world.

Shiro had a sword in hand, wearing a serious expression, while Zangetsu was nowhere to be found. _**'This'll be between you and me, King. You've let this fear paralyze you for far too long. And this will end it.'**_

Ichigo's eyes widened as a Byakurai skid just an inch from his cheek and he immediately looked at his Hollow in confusion. "Shiro?"He knew that his Hollow had learned everything that he did, but it was still unnerving for Shiro to use kidou against him. The Hollow was clearly seriously up for a fight.

'_**I don't want to serve a cowardly King, you know. It's okay to fear if you're a kid, but to take that fear even in your growth is mere cowardice, King. It is weakness, and I hate being weak!' **_Shiro exclaimed before he cackled maniacally. Ichigo was used to hearing this so he wasn't afraid anymore, but it still unsettled him because Shiro was acting really strange. _**'I will either kill that fear of yours, or I'll take over from now on!' **_And his sword swung in front of him, making a slicing movement, before he shouted, _**'Getsuga Tenshou!'**_

Ichigo was thankful he was fast. The building that the huge mass of reiatsu hit had split into two and there was a gaping hole in the middle, that part clearly disintegrated. "W-What is that?" He stared at the damage, wide-eyed and shocked. He couldn't do that.

'_**That, my King, is something you should've learned a long time ago.' **_Shiro answered as he swung another Getsuga Tenshou, which Ichigo evaded, and another, and another. _**'But because you're weak, you're not only afraid of that man, you're also afraid to even go and be a proper Shinigami. Do you know how Zangetsu feels every time you deny his identity? I mean, **_**your**_** identity?'**_

Ichigo couldn't do anything but dodge as Shiro continuously fired Getsuga Tenshou at him, and quite fast-paced too.

'_**What's the matter, King? Is that all you've got?' **_Shiro smirked as he attacked head-on.

"I can't fight you!" Ichigo struggled as he blocked Shiro's sword with his own. "Shiro, stop this!"

'_**No! I will not listen to a weak King!' **_Shiro shouted back in his distorted voice before he attacked again.

Ichigo was already having a problem because Shiro seemed really serious. He didn't want to fight Shiro though. Shiro was a part of him just like Zangetsu, and those two, as much as he hated admitting it, were very important to him. And if Shiro was suffering because of his weakness, if Zangetsu was suffering because of his weakness, if those two were always drenched in the cold rain because of his weakness, then there was nothing to do but accept Shiro's wrath. It was his weaknesses and useless fears that were to blame, but Ichigo was to blame too for actually letting those emotions reign over him for far too long.

Ichigo was in a defensive mode, but when Shiro attacked head-on again, Ichigo readied himself, and when Shiro was nearer, he slowly dropped Zangetsu to his side, making himself vulnerable. Shiro didn't stop until the sword stabbed him in the chest.

"Sorry, Shiro." He voiced in apology.

Shiro smirked. _**'If you ever let yourself wallow in useless fears and weaknesses again, I'll fight you once more and beat the crap out of you.'**_

Ichigo looked at his Hollow counterpart and realized something. "It doesn't hurt to be stabbed by you."

'_Of course, Ichigo. We're part of you, your powers. There is no way you'll be hurt by your own Zanpakutou.' _The sword that was stabbed to him voiced before it vanished from Ichigo's chest and turned to its human form.

"Zangetsu-ojii-san." Ichigo voiced, looking quite surprised.

'_Don't let your resolve waver, Ichigo.' _He said.

'_**Remember, King. What's necessary in a fight isn't fear. Nothing can be born from that. If you dodge, "I won't let them cut me." If you protect someone, "I won't let them die." If you attack, "I'll cut them."' **_Shiro grinned, this time it was a grin that made Ichigo feel grateful. He grinned too.

"Of course." He answered, feeling strangely more powerful than earlier.

'_**And I'll give you a little advice, King. Everything that you know is known to me too, and everything that I know, you also know. So that Getsuga Tenshou? Remember how it feels.' **_Shiro voiced, satisfied of his role as the villain.

'_Not knowing and knowing the name of an attack makes the difference, Ichigo.' _Zangetsu added. _'Just like how you knew the name of the kidou spells that you like so much, you have to make sure that you remember the name of that attack too.'_

Ichigo couldn't help it. He bowed at the two of them. "Thank you."

And when he looked up again, he was already back in the dojo, sitting as if he wasn't fighting earlier. By the air surrounding him though, he was pretty sure that his reiatsu hadn't been properly suppressed. And he could feel that somehow, he had gotten something new. He couldn't pinpoint if his reiatsu just intensified or strengthened, or if he had a stronger resolve and stronger heart, or both.

And by the sense of it, he was certain the sudden surge of reiatsu had managed to warn his chichi that there was something wrong. Because within seconds after that, the door to the dojo slammed opened, revealing Juushirou in his kimono looking worried and a little panicky.

"Ichigo-kun!" He voiced, unable to hide his confusion when he saw that there was no one else beside Ichigo, no enemy and no one to fight. "I felt your reiatsu and…"

Ichigo smiled at him. "Sorry, Chichi. I was careless. I lost control of my reiatsu just now, but there's no worry. I've got it under control."

Juushirou looked at his son for a while. Somehow, he felt that something changed in Ichigo in the short time when he was not looking, he just couldn't figure out what. Ichigo, right now, appeared stronger, calmer, and certainly deadlier, if the immense reiatsu he felt earlier was any indication.

He exhaled. "Make sure to–" Juushirou wasn't able to continue what he was about to say when he fell on his knees and started coughing.

"Chichi!" Ichigo shouted in panic and immediately knelt beside the older male as he placed his hand on his guardian's back.

"I-I'm fine, Ichigo." He smiled, though a bit strained. He slowly stood up. Ichigo was still supporting his frame.

"You should rest, Chichi." He said as he ushered the older male inside the house. "Have you taken your medicine yet?"

Juushirou nodded before he spoke. "You should rest too, son." He smiled and Ichigo nodded.

**. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .**

And now Ichigo was asking the question. _Why did he agree to go to this party again? _He could feel his discomfort rising as he sat in one of the cushion while watching Shinigamis drinking and partying and dancing in the pub in a district in Rukongai. And Juushirou wouldn't even let him drink.

"Hey, Ichigo!" Renji waved his hand to get the strawberry's attention. "It's your party, at least take that scowl off your face!" Ichigo, if possible, scowled even more.

"So, you're Ichigo, huh?" A bald man who looked like a ruffian made his way towards Ichigo and sat in front of him. "I'm Ikkaku Madarame, third seat in 11th Squad." He smirked. A man with overly heightened 'I'm beautiful' expression on his face sat beside Ikkaku's right and on his left sat a man with black sunglasses. "And this is Yumichika Ayasegawa and Tetsuzaemon Iba."

"Ah, nice to meet you. I'm Ichigo Kurosaki." He answered, feeling a bit overwhelmed at the fact that almost everyone who attended the party introduced themselves to him. They all grinned at him before they hurried onto the dance floor.

There were many Shinigamis who introduced themselves to him, though none of them wore their uniforms because it would be too formal for some partying events like this. Most of them wore normal kimono and some wore yukata. Some of them merely brushed his mind and were forgotten but there were others who got his attention.

Of course, there were Kiyone and Sentarou whom he already knew but still managed to introduced themselves, there were some members of the Shinigami Women's Association: Rangiku Matsumoto, Nanano Ise, and Isane Kotetsu. There were other lieutenants: Yachiru, Kira, Momo, Shuuhei Hisagi, and of course Renji. There was the 6th Squad member named Richiki who explicitly idolized Renji, if the tattoos starting to appear on his eyebrows were any indication. Of course, Taichous Juushirou, Shunsui, Toshirou, a guy with dark complexion named Kaname Tousen, Gin, and even Aizen were there.

Renji, Kira, and Momo approached him.

"Hey, I heard some petty rumors yesterday about your cold treatment of Aizen-taichou." Renji said as he sat down. Kira and Momo followed him.

"Aizen-taichou is a very kind and caring man, and very generous too." Momo said fondly, and Ichigo remembered that she was his fukutaichou. It seemed she's genuinely fond of him and there was no way Ichigo was going to just ruin that. "What didn't you like about him?"

"Uh, nothing. I was just overwhelmed by the attention yesterday." Ichigo said. Renji arched an eyebrow, convinced that he was lying. Kira and Momo, on the other hand, readily accepted his explanation.

"Of course. Our Taichous were sometimes a little overly enthusiastic." Kira nodded in assent.

"Is that so?" They all turned and saw Gin. In Ichigo's case, he merely looked up since he was already facing them. Beside Gin was Aizen who was looking at Ichigo with an expression that the orange-haired teen couldn't recognize.

He remembered Shiro's words about cowardice and decided to play like how everyone else did. He stood up and slightly bowed his head. "I apologize for the incident yesterday." And that's all he would say, but it seemed Aizen had already taken an interest in talking to him.

"Would you mind having a chat with me outside?" Aizen smiled kindly, if only Ichigo didn't know it was a fake.

It felt like millennia to him before he answered, but it was only a few seconds for his companions. "No, I don't mind."

And thus, the captain led him to the street. There weren't many people but it wasn't nearly deserted either.

Renji watched in apprehension as Ichigo walked together with Aizen outside, Juushirou from the other table mirroring his expression. Gin sat in Ichigo's seat and poured out wine in Renji, Kira, and Momo's cup.

"Don't worry, you three. Ichiberry-kun will be fine." He nodded as if confirming it himself. Renji held back the urge to burst out laughing. He wondered how Ichigo would react if he heard a taichou calling him with such a nickname.

"Do you know what Aizen-taichou wants to talk about with him, Ichimaru-taichou?" Momo asked, clearly curious as to how Ichigo captured Aizen's attention even though the teen didn't act any kinder towards her Taichou.

Ginn grinned at her. "Strawberries are very sweet and innocently delicious it makes you want to eat them up, do you know that, Hinamori-fukutaichou?" Momo looked at him for a while before the meaning dawned to her, and she immediately blushed. Kira and Renji looked scandalized and Gin immediately laughed. "No, I'm just messing with you three." The three of them sighed in relief. _"Partly messing at least," _Gin added inside his mind.

Ichigo could feel his nervousness and his heart ramming inside his chest. Aizen was close, _too_ close, as they walked side by side. He kept on trying to forget how the taichou used the high level kidou Kurohitsugi on another Shinigami like he was simply breathing, like it was simply natural to do so. And he knew that he was being a coward again, and that Shiro would definitely kill him for it, but he couldn't help it. Just one word from Aizen and he'd be dead before he knew it.

'_**Idiot King, stop imagining things and focus on where you two are going! He's taking you to some place really deserted.'**_

Shiro's voice snapped him out of his thoughts and when he looked at the scenery around them, he inwardly cursed. _Oh, fuck… _for that was the place where they first met, the road by the riverside. _Did Aizen know it was him?_

"Ichigo," Aizen finally spoke, and Ichigo waited to hear the questions that he would surely ask. _No, _he reminded himself that the others knew that he was with Aizen. The older man seemed a very cautious and manipulative man. He wouldn't act so carelessly. The man wouldn't kill him unless he was sure that Ichigo was someone who knew him. _If this was planned out though… that would be a problem._

_And why the hell Aizen was being so familiar with him, _he didn't know. Not even his own chichi called him with his first name without any honorific.

Aizen glanced at him sideways and Ichigo held back a shudder. "I know you declined Yamamoto-soutaichou's proposal to join a Division." Ichigo looked at him too, but not too directly. He didn't want Aizen to see the apprehension in his eyes. "But I still think that you're a person who holds so much potential. It will be a waste if you'll just let it go like that. And I'm sure that Ukitake-taichou will be very proud of you if you join a Division."

"_Is this what they call persuading by using flattery?" _Ichigo thought as he digested Aizen's words. If he was as ignorant as everyone else, he would've been flattered by this man's words. He would've been persuaded. How Aizen managed to maintain this façade of his, Ichigo didn't know. "I told the soutaichou that I'll think about it, though I can't promise anything." He answered.

Aizen nodded before he stopped. And Ichigo belatedly realized that there's no one in the vicinity right now. "Ichigo, I would want you in the 5th Squad, if only you'd give yourself a chance to become someone more."

_Yep, this was persuasion by flattery. _Ichigo inwardly sighed.

"Why do you fear me, Ichigo?" Aizen suddenly asked and Ichigo's mind immediately reeled for any appropriate answer. "No, to be exact, yesterday you feared me. But now, all you feel is nervousness and slight apprehension. Why is that?" He looked at Ichigo then, clearly looking for any sign that he could read.

Ichigo knew he was being watched for his reaction. He was glad that his reiatsu was already hidden so Aizen couldn't read it. As for his face, his almost permanent scowl helped become his mask as he answered. "I just… I'm just overwhelmed. I'm not used to being treated nicely except by Kaien and Chichi… so…"

"You fear that there is something behind my kindness?" Ichigo knew it. The man was trying to capture him. Any reaction would immediately give himself away. _Like he'd let Aizen do that. _"Do you feel that I have an ulterior motive in my actions, Ichigo?"

Ichigo was so busy trying to think of an answer that he missed the way Aizen moved closer, far closer, and inhaled his scent. He inhaled the warm, sweet scent of the teen. The orange-haired teen stiffened when he felt the Taichou's breath so close to his neck. "A-Aizen-taichou?" He immediately cursed his stutter.

Aizen chuckled, still not pulling away. Instead, he held Ichigo's arm and pulled him even closer. Ichigo who was merely stiff, immediately froze. His mind was spiraling for any sort of excuse that he could come up with just to get away. "Ichigo, I'm interested in you. Do you know that?" His intense gaze locked Ichigo in position. _He couldn't even move…_

"Aizen-taichou, I believe that this is public property and intimate acts are very inappropriate here." A voice said in the darkness and Ichigo almost jumped from surprise. He never felt anyone. _These people were really dangerous. _Though at the back of his mind, he was very thankful that someone saw them. _He didn't even want to think of what would have happened if there wasn't anyone in the vicinity._

"Ah, Kuchiki-taichou," Aizen smiled kindly as he pulled away from the teen. Ichigo scowled when he just thought of the man as his savior. He realized only too late that it was Byakuya the prick. "I was just asking Ichigo if he wants to join the 5th Squad. There's nothing to worry about." The brunette Taichou waited for Byakuya to just leave them alone, but it seemed the noble chose this night to be stubborn and refused to leave them be. "Alright then, I'll be going first." And after nodding to both males, he turned around and left without another word.

Ichigo looked at Aizen's leaving figure first before his gaze fell on the man in front of him. Byakuya was simply gorgeous, if he said so himself. _Though that didn't mean he would like Mr. Stoic Curlers any time soon._

"You, boy, are not allowed to simply join any ranks just because you're a Taichou's adopted son. Don't go around kissing everyone's feet just to make them adore you. Not all Shinigamis are pleased at your apparent attention-seeking." Byakuya said quite coldly. "Try to remember your place, Rukongai dog."

Ichigo clenched his fists. Did he say he would never like this man any time soon? Erase that! _He would never like this man even if the world turned upside down! _He wanted to just lash out and bring forth every swear word and every foul language that a _Rukongai dog _knew just so this man would know not to make light of him. But that would only be proving that he really was a _Rukongai dog. _And Juushirou wouldn't be too happy if he knew that his son fought with a taichou.

And besides, even if he hated to admit it, Byakuya kind of saved him from Aizen.

"Is that all?" Ichigo asked as he arched an eyebrow. "I believe you've wasted my time long enough, Byakuya. I'm leaving." And he didn't even let the man answer before he shunpo'd towards his house, not wanting to even see Aizen's face in the party again.

Byakuya's eyes widened when the words came out of the teen's mouth. And before he could answer, the teen already vanished with a very skillful shunpo, leaving him fuming. _"Insolent boy!" _He exclaimed inside his mind.

He gritted his teeth. He was about to go to that brat's party because Juushirou, his mentor and also adviser, begged him to attend. But forget it. There was no way he'd accept that boy as part of Seireitei. Never!

Or so he said, but a part of him really wondered what the hell that scene just now was. He walked back to his manor, still thinking of how Aizen looked different, as if he was another person, and the teen looked like he wanted to either kill the taichou or run away. And just with that scene, he already knew that there was something more to the kid's fear towards the brunette, something that might be the answer to Aizen's strange behavior too.

.

.tbc.

.

**Ren-sama's Note:**

**Uh, please review? ˆoˆ**


	8. Chapter 8

**Ren-sama's Note;**

**OTL. I really thank everyone who continues to support this fict. Thank you for your continuous reviews and encouraging comments! Please enjoy this chapter! ˆoˆ**

**.**

**.**

**Chapter 8**

"I'll show him! I'll show him!" Ichigo shouted as he clashed his zanpakutou against Shiro's. "I'll show him what this Rukongai dog is capable of!"

'_**Calm down, King.' **_Shiro smirked. _**'You've been fuming for two weeks now. How about you try and fight that guy Kenpachi?'**_

Ichigo looked up at him, immediately thinking of the percentage where he'd get out of that battle alive. "Well, there's that…"

'_I think Shiro is right, Ichigo.' _Zangetsu materialized beside them. _'Even though you've been fighting us for almost two weeks now, your physical body is still at rest so you're still restless after the fight.'_

'_**Yes, a real fight will be good.' **_Shiro grinned, eyes gleaming in excitement at the prospect of a fight.

Ichigo thought about it for a while. Maybe Renji could spar with him? But that guy was _that guy's _fukutaichou. Not that he resented Renji for ever working under Byakuya. He just felt that anything he might achieve from sparring with Renji may as well have come from Byakuya since he was using the man's subordinate to train. _And of course there's Kenpachi…_

Kenpachi was fine, but the man's excitement alone might kill Ichigo. The teen sighed. "I think I'll ask Kenpachi to spar with me then."

'_**Speaking of which.' **_Shiro smirked before Ichigo's vision turned to that of the dojo inside his house. Kenpachi's reiatsu was as enthusiastic as ever. The man was tremendously strong, though it seemed he was not that good at controlling his reiatsu. He now wondered if Kenpachi even knew how to perform a kidou.

The door to the dojo was smashed after some seconds, revealing the maniacally grinning huge Captain of 11th Squad Division, and for once, Ichigo didn't run. "Yo, Kenpachi!" He greeted.

"Hoh? You're willing to be caught right now?" Kenpachi's reiatsu radiated so much excitement. Not the usual fluffy happiness, though, but the happiness barely concealing the tremendous killing intent. Not that Kenpachi really wanted to kill Ichigo. He just wanted to spar, which could end up killing the teen anyway.

"Ichi! Kenny and I have been looking for you for some time now!" Yachiru spoke from Kenpachi's shoulder. "I told you, Kenny. Ichi's here right now."

"You know why I'm here, Ichigo." Kenpachi said. "I like to have a match with you."

"Alright." Ichigo answered as he slowly stood and dusted himself off. "But you better pay for that door. Chichi will get a heart attack if he saw the door, together with some part of the wall, smashed to smithereens. He'll think I did it. And another thing, I don't want to fight here in Seireitei. Do you mind going to some forested area in Rukongai?"

Kenpachi's grin widened. "Yeah, yeah. I'll pay for the door and the wall. And in return, you lead the way to that forested area. I don't want to go leading and then find out that you're not following anymore."

Ichigo chuckled before he shunpo'd towards the gates of Seireitei in a matter of minutes. He stopped for a while to make sure Kenpachi was following him, though he didn't wait long because it seemed the taichou was quite fast despite his huge built. He shunpo'd again and found himself several minutes later in his old training ground with Kaien. It was a large clearing encircled by thick bushes and trees.

He closed his eyes as he inhaled the air. Memories of the time he and Kaien sparred, trained, and even slept in this place returned to him like a waterfall. It was overwhelming. He had not visited this place since Kaien's death and he could feel himself getting far too sentimental for his liking.

"Oy, are we going to fight or are you just going to admire Mother Nature there?" Kenpachi exclaimed from behind him. Ichigo inhaled once more before he opened his eyes again. When he turned around, he was more than ready to face the man.

Kenpachi's excitement only escalated at Ichigo's expression. "I like your expression, Ichigo." He voiced as he unsheathed his sword and swung it over his shoulder. Yachiru jumped off his shoulder and shunpo'd towards one of the trees and sat on its branch comfortably as she watched.

"Go, Kenny! Go, Ichi!" She cheered happily. She was glad that Kenpachi looked so happy.

Kenpachi and his sword radiated so much killing intent that his reiatsu was utterly incredible and suffocating for anyone else other than his opponent at hand. His eyes had changed color, mirroring his reiatsu, and had turned gold.

"Let's start." Ichigo voiced as he brought Zangetsu over his shoulder. He remembered Shiro's words not too long ago.

'_Remember, King. What's necessary in a fight isn't fear. Nothing can be born from that. If you dodge, "I won't let them cut me." If you protect someone, "I won't let them die." If you attack, "I'll cut them."'_

And before he knew it, his eyes turned a glowing blue and Zangetsu was calling out for bloodshed. Kenpachi smirked, obviously delighted at the sudden surge of killing intent from Ichigo.

Without a word, Kenpachi launched an attack. He never even asked Ichigo to cut him anymore, like how he usually started a fight. No, he was sure Ichigo would've cut him this time, what with all those immense reiatsu coming from the teen.

The two started clashing their swords against one another. It's power versus power alone. Ichigo didn't even think of using kidou on the guy. _He would win this using his and Zangetsu's power alone._

Yachiru watched as the clearing started to turn dusty because of the swirling and clashing reiatsus of the two combatants. Normal eyes wouldn't even begin to see the fight, but she was a fukutaichou and she was used to Kenpachi's speed. The thing that she was amazed at, however, was the fact that Ichigo was able to top her Captain's speed. He watched as Kenpachi swung his ragged sword towards the orange-haired Shinigami only for it to come in contact with dirt, for Ichigo had already spun his body in that split second and appeared behind the huge Captain. And with one swing, his sword came in contact with Kenpachi's back.

Kenpachi immediately turned around and the two of them stared at one another for some seconds. Blood was dripping from the huge man's back and on Ichigo's sword. The younger male's training kimono had rifts and his skin had shallow cuts but none that looked dangerous.

The huge man's face didn't look like he was in pain at all. Kenpachi, if ever, looked even happier and was manically grinning. "How can you be so strong, Ichigo? You didn't have any special training in the Academy, and you don't have much experience."

Ichigo smiled. "I have lots and lots of experience from a very talented Shinigami, Kenpachi. And besides, Zangetsu and Shiro fight with me so I'm not afraid that I will lose."

Kenpachi looked thoughtful for a while. "So which is the name of your zanpakutou among those two? And who is the other one?" As far as he could see, Ichigo only had one zanpakutou.

"Zangetsu's is my zanpakutou. Shiro is…" Ichigo trailed off, not really wanting to open up yet, though he knew Kenpachi was not the type for gossip, or even ostracizing. "Shiro is my other half."

Kenpachi arched an eyebrow at that, though he didn't ask anymore. "Sorry, Ichigo. I don't know the name of my zanpakutou so I can only rely on myself." He then grinned. "I think I can go all out with you." He removed the eye patch that covered one of his eyes and his immense reiatsu immediately doubled. "This eye patch is made by the Twelfth Division, a kind of self-handicap. It continuously eats my reiatsu just so it'll stay relatively lower." Ichigo smirked. He didn't know that the immensity of Kenpachi's reiatsu was actually just half of his whole power.

"I guess I don't have to hold back either." Ichigo said before he let his full force all out. It's the first time he did it because Kaien had always told him to keep his reiatsu hidden. It always attracted Hollows and, on top of that, might injure an ordinary soul because of its intensity. Aside from that, he had no way of letting it all out because he always had to hold back with Kaien, not that the older male minded. And he was a little amazed at how far his reiatsu had grown. It almost equaled Kenpachi's. _Almost _being the key word because Ichigo knew this was pure Shinigami powers. His Hollow power remained out of his reach for now because Shiro said that he could only use it when he's ready.

"Shall we continue?" Kenpachi looked even more excited at the prospect of going all out. He licked his lips as he grinned.

"Of course." Ichigo answered before the two of them became a blur of fighting combatants again.

When they stopped after several minutes, Ichigo had a huge gash from his left shoulder to his middle torso, his kimono was partly ripped off, and his forehead was bleeding. Kenpachi, on the other hand, had a huge gash on his middle torso and one on his right shoulder, not to mention the one on his back, which were already two. They might have been equal in power but Ichigo was way faster than Kenpachi in his mastery of shunpo so his attacks almost always made contact while many of Kenpachi's were blocked or dodged.

"So, if you're this strong, why are so afraid of four-eyes?" Kenpachi asked as he panted, grin still plastered on his face.

Ichigo's head tipped on one side, obviously thinking who four eyes was. And then it hit him. "Aizen?"

Kenpachi's grin widened, whether it's because of Ichigo's insolence or his immediate recognition of the nickname, the strawberry didn't know. "I saw Aizen once when I was nine. It was my third day in Soul Society." Ichigo didn't know why he was saying it, but like he said earlier, Kenpachi was someone he didn't have to put up his barriers from. The man was just amazingly strong, the embodiment of brash power and muscled strength, not to mention fighting instincts.

"And?" Kenpachi was obliviously curious. Yachiru sensed that the fight was almost over so she immediately hopped from the tree and onto Kenpachi's shoulder with just two steps, not minding the blood on the Taichou's body at all.

Ichigo scratched his nape. "I saw how he killed a fellow Shinigami in order to hide a secret. It wasn't brutal or anything. I was a kid back then, but the fact that Aizen killed a comrade while smiling has unsettled me, and kind of…"

When Ichigo looked at Kenpachi again, however, he saw that the man wasn't smiling anymore. He initially thought that he did the wrong thing, but then Kenpachi voiced, "Have you told this to anyone?"

Ichigo shook his head. "I don't think they'll believe me anyway. From what I see, Aizen is seen as the God of Kindness and Tolerance here. And they might think that my eyes, as a mere child, might be playing tricks on me. And besides, I have no evidence but my memory, and it happened over sixteen years ago."

Kenpachi's eyebros furrowed. "Anyway, don't talk about this to anyone yet, Ichigo. It might bring you trouble, or danger."

Ichigo nodded before he smiled, glad that Kenpachi didn't laugh at him, or worse attack him for saying something like that to his comrade. "You believe me, Kenpachi?" He couldn't help but ask.

"Just like you said, it might have been a trick on your eyes as a child or on the part of the killer just to frame Aizen. But I'll try to observe things for a while." Kenpachi voiced.

Yachiru smiled at Ichigo. "Kenny and I will do some investigation!"

"Let's end this fight for now." Kenpachi's grin was back and Ichigo couldn't help but think Kenpachi's grin was more appropriate to see on the man's face than a frown or a serious expression. "I had a good fight, no, a great one." And the two of them already shunpo'd towards Seireitei.

"You won't talk about it to anyone, right?" Ichigo asked as Kenpachi turned to the corner where the 11th Squad Barracks was located. Kenpachi waved a hand but didn't answer nor did he turn back. And that was enough for Ichigo.

**. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .**

"Really, what were you thinking, accepting Kenpachi's challenge like that?" Juushirou asked worriedly as he treated Ichigo's wounds. His son merely chuckled.

"We had a great time, Chichi. Kenpachi is a fight-loving freak, but he's kind." He answered, remembering how Kenpachi warned him to not do anything that would cause trouble or danger to himself.

Juushirou couldn't help but sigh. The last thing he wanted was for Ichigo to idolize Kenpachi, or any part of the 11th Squad Division for that matter. He immediately rushed home when he found out that Kenpachi fought against Ichigo and the huge guy was currently being treated by Unohana-taichou despite the taichou's insistence that he was fine. He wanted to storm inside the 4th Division Barracks earlier and punch the daylights out of Kenpachi for fighting his son, but now that he saw how Ichigo looked happy, he was starting to quietly forgive the brash taichou. No, what he wanted to do now was question Ichigo's sanity for actually taking a liking to that ruffian, not that it was impossible for Ichigo to be fond of other people. It's just that everyone who actually wanted to follow Kenpachi's footsteps were ruffians themselves.

"You know, many members of the 11th Squad will actually gawk at you for fighting on par with their Taichou." Juushirou said as they drank tea, just after Ichigo was bandaged.

His son sighed. "Well, think what they like. I couldn't care less." By now, he already knew what specialization and characteristics each Squad had. Renji made sure to tell him everything once in a while whenever he trained in the forested area near the cliff of Sokyouku Hill. And he couldn't care less if many members of the 11th Squad went for his head, what with them all-brawl no brain fighters as what Renji told him. The other Squads were a little frightful to be enemy with, but the 11th Squad only had the Captain up to the fifth seat as talented individuals – in fighting of course.

"Anyway, I must go back to my Barracks now." Juushirou smiled as he finished his tea and stood up. "You better stay away from any more fighting, Ichigo-kun." Ichigo nodded, but Juushirou doubted his son would really just run away from a fight, except when it concerned Kenpachi.

Just as the 13th Division Captain was about to go out, Renji immediately came and invited Ichigo to a bar. Juushirou narrowed his eyes at the fukutaichou but Renji immediately said that there would be no drinking. By now they all knew that Juushirou forbid Ichigo to drink any alcoholic beverage for a reason they didn't know. The two left and Juushirou sighed again as he shunpo'd towards his office. Well, at least his son was not a solitary soul anymore, training day and night just to forget everything.

"So, where are we going?" Ichigo asked as they shunpo'd towards the 11th Division Barracks.

Renji grinned. "Ikkaku-san and Ayasegawa-san want to know how the duel went. Zaraki-taichou is too happy to actually talk about it and Yachiru's version is way too cheery and biased." Ichigo sighed. He didn't think he'd be interrogated about it just after he received his treatment.

When they arrived, however the scene was more like a mini version of that one in the pub in Rukongai, though more subdued. Many Shinigamis from other divisions were there, drinking sake in the middle of the afternoon.

Ikkaku and Yumichika both waved at them when they arrived and the two males sat with them. Rangiku and a grumpy Toshirou also joined after some minutes of idle chat. The other Shinigamis just continued drinking, not even noticing their presence. Ichigo was starting to think now these people just used him as an excuse to drink alcohol and have a party.

"Heh, Hitsugaya-taichou is here too, I see." Renji beamed at the sight of the small Captain growling from under Rangiku's suffocating bosom hug.

"Oh, Toshirou, I didn't think taichous get to have free time too." Ichigo said, earning a glare from the small taichou.

"That's Hitsugaya-taichou for you, Kurosaki." He voiced before Rangiku smacked him "lightly" on the back.

"Oh, don't be so grumpy, Taichou!" Rangiku used her usual flirty voice. "Ichigo here is just happy that you finally have time for yourself!" By now, most of the Shinigamis close to Ichigo already knew that he preferred to have his original surname and they now called him by that, though some of them couldn't help but still call him Ukitake.

"You only dragged me here, Matsumoto!" Toshirou barked, though everyone knew that if he really wanted it, he could just leave and no one would be able to stop him.

They all settled into a light conversation while drinking sake. Toshirou was as grumpy as always, but he also shared in some of the jokes – wearing a scowl which almost always ruins its fun. Of course, Ikkaku and Renji, and Rangiku, did most of the talking while Ichigo and Toshirou mostly listened. Ikkaku almost always offered Ichigo some sake, even Renji did, but the teen always politely refused.

"Come on, Ukitake-taichou isn't here! He won't know you drank. We promise not to tell him, Ichigo!" Rangiku pouted when she too was turned down.

Ichigo smiled. "Sorry, I can't. Chichi will immediately know that I drank, and will be here in mere seconds." Of course, he didn't have to say that it was actually because his reiatsu would flare incredibly high the moment he lost control that Juushirou would be the least of his problems if that happened. "We wouldn't want that, don't we?"

Renji smirked. "Well, anyway, let's begin the storytelling. Zaraki-taichou doesn't want to say anything. It seems he's still neck-deep in his happiness for the day."

Ikkaku laughed. "Of course," he looked at Ichigo then. "If you're really that good, Ichigo, expect that Zaraki-taichou will always be on your tail. And I might want to spar with you sometimes too. I want to know what made our taichou so happy that he can't even talk about it."

"Ichi!" A cheery voice called from across the room and now all head turned to Ichigo's direction and back to the little pink-haired fukutaichou. "Kenny said that don't leave until he's seen you!" Ichigo only nodded and Yachiru vanished again.

"Well?" Yumichika asked after a while, arching an eyebrow. Even he could see that the boy in front of them was gorgeous, way too gorgeous if he dared say. Ichigo's hair was bright orange, spiky and yet soft-looking at the same time. It made many people want to at least run their hands on it. And then there were those bright chocolate eyes that beheld warmth and innocence and yet held so much power and deadliness at the same time. Ichigo had tanned-skin, mouth-watering and delicious. Not to mention that the boy was sex on legs, totally cool to gaze at because he had the personality that was neither too cheery nor too cold. And his body was slender, delightfully muscled because of training and yet naturally slim enough to look charming.

Yumichika had always fancied beauty and he knew it when he saw one.

Ichigo could feel himself having hives at the intense gaze Yumichika was throwing him. Renji and Ikkaku both arched an eyebrow at the beautiful male Shinigami but Yumichika merely shrugged.

"Well," Ichigo started, not really knowing how to tell the fight without sounding way too eager or too arrogant.

'_**Just tell them how you kicked that muscled guy's ass, King. They'd like that.'**_

"_Shut up. Do you want my ass to get kicked next for being totally arrogant?" _He answered inside his head. He looked at their expectant faces and retold the story in the briefest, mostly report-like way, and saw their faces fell.

"Ichigo, I know that you're one of the most boring guy in existence, but please don't let it show up now." Renji almost whined. Rangiku poured their cups, including Ichigo's, more sake before speaking up.

"But Ichigo, I thought you'd tell us how you kicked Zaraki-taichou's ass!"

"Matsumoto, I suggest you speak only when needed." Toshirou said as he felt extremely annoyed at his fukutaichou's insolence. Kenpachi was still basically a taichou even if he rarely, if ever, acted like one.

"Hitsugaya-taichou is sooooo awful to meee." She said in her usual whiny, but still flirty, voice. Yumichika sighed as he drank the sake in his cup.

And just then, from another table, a brawl broke out. They all turned their heads as unseated officers tried to cheer for the two opponents and Toshirou looked like he wanted to just die than be at the place. Yumichika muttered something sounding like 'ugly' under his breath just as Ikkaku stood up. Ichigo initially thought that Ikkaku was on his way to stop the two, but the guy even volunteered to be the referee.

"Don't worry, this thing is normal in the 11th Division." Renji said beside him. "There's not a day that they don't get into fights with one another. This is just that kind of Division after all. For them, fighting is everything." Ichigo didn't know what to answer so he merely nodded.

"This is totally pathetic." Toshirou muttered under his breathe before he decided that enough is enough. He might have been initially interested in Ichigo's story about his duel with Kenpachi earlier, which was actually the real reason why he let Rangiku have her way against him, but the no-brain Shinigamis didn't even consider his presence as a Taichou and just broke out a brawl.

Just then, Ichigo saw Toshirou vanished, probably leaving for good. Rangiku tried to cheer too just as the two fighting Shinigamis drew out their swords and started clashing against each other. He watched as they both tried to intimidate one another with their measly reiatsu but both with little success.

Renji bade Ikkaku goodbye and Ichigo immediately followed, knowing that he wouldn't be able to keep his promise to Kenpachi. The two of them went to the woods beside the cliff of the Sokyouku Hills and sat on one of the trees.

Ichigo watched as Renji's reiatsu slowly and gradually became filled with concern and quiet grief. "What's wrong, Renji?"

Renji, just realizing that his reiatsu was surging with unease, immediately tucked it under control again. "Nothing… I'm just… worried."

"Yes, I can feel that." Ichigo arched an eyebrow. "What I'm asking is, what's wrong? What makes you feel like that?"

Renji sighed. He didn't want to make Ichigo worried too but he guessed his, no, _their,_ orange-haired friend had the right to know. "Well, it's Rukia." Ichigo watched as Renji tried to form the words, obviously struggling. "You see, it's already over a month since she left… She should have come back this week. But there's still no news about her."

Ichigo couldn't help but feel sad, both for Rukia and for Renji, though his sadness was only felt by him since he was good at hiding his reiatsu and almost unconsciously keeping it in check even in his bad days. "Renji, Rukia is strong. Let's believe in her." Renji nodded before the redhead smiled.

"Thanks, Ichigo." He said before he stood up and looked at Ichigo with full determination. "Do you mind sparring with me tomorrow afternoon? Just to get my mind off of things for a little bit."

Ichigo didn't know how to answer first, but then he agreed. "Sure, outside Seireitei though. I don't want to alarm Chichi when he sensed my reiatsu in fighting mode."

"Of course." Renji was about to leave when he turned around once again. "At our usual place?" Ichigo grinned before he nodded. He hadn't come back to that place either after Renji and Rukia left. "See you tomorrow then. Kuchiki-taichou will kill me if he knew I'm running away from paperwork again." He grinned before he disappeared using shunpo.

Ichigo scowled at the mention of the name but his friend was thankfully already gone to even see it. He didn't know how that guy could manage to annoy him even in his absence. Just the mention of the name was enough to make him want to punch a wall or something. _He was that irritated at the stoic, stuck up captain of the 6__th__ Division._

"I heard you defeated Zaraki-taichou?" A voice from behind him made him turn around, and much to his annoyance, it was the one more person who could make his blood boil even in his absence. _Aizen. _A grinning Gin was behind him.

"It's not a defeat. We didn't continue our fight." Ichigo merely answered. He cursed under his breath when he realized he forgot Zangetsu in his house. _No, Zangetsu wasn't anywhere else, but inside him. _

'_**I see you're learning, King.' **_Shiro's voice inside his head rang. The Hollow was obviously smirking. _**'And just so you know. Not only Zangetsu, but I too am here, if only you'll accept it… my power.'**_

"_Thanks, Shiro. But I think I want to concentrate on the problem at hand." _Ichigo said inside his mind as he looked at the two Taichous about four meters away from him. He didn't feel their presence at all, and that said something because Kaien made sure that he felt others' reiatsu even faintly to not be surprised in case there was an attack. Of course, now that he had a good look at them, he could already faintly feel their hidden reiatsu, but other than that, there was nothing to feel.

Aizen stepped closer and Ichigo had to clenched his fists and let his fingernails bite through his skin just to prevent himself from stepping back. He knew it was ridiculous to act all tough especially when there were two Taichous in front of him, but he also knew that to show weakness was like admitting defeat. _He wouldn't let Aizen even feel any victory._

Gin smirked at the way Ichigo acted tough in front of Aizen, not realizing that perhaps only the soutaichou held the power to stop the brunette. The two of them both talked about Ichigo a lot, though no one knew of that of course.

"_Gin, what do you think of Ukitake-taichou's son?" Aizen asked as he sat in his office._

"_You mean the one who cower in front of you two weeks ago?" Gin grinned. "The one you harassed in the middle of the street where Kuchiki-taichou saw you?"_

_Aizen narrowed his eyes when Gin uttered the second question, not knowing that Gin was also there at the time, but he was amused. "Yes, that one, Gin."_

_Gin feigned thoughtfulness on the matter before he answered. "I think he's delicious, innocently delicious. He's beautiful too, and very, very young. Not to mention that he had a slender body and a tight ass."_

_Aizen chuckled. "Oh, I don't mean my question like that. I mean, what do you think of his soul? His power?"_

_Gin mused aloud. "Well, I think he's pretty powerful, if I'm not mistaken. It seems he's so used to having his reiatsu in check that he doesn't do it consciously anymore. That, or he doesn't have much reiatsu to start with, which I doubt since he's able to stay in a room with the soutaichou for over five minutes."_

_Aizen grinned, not unlike his usual kind and warm grin but a cold and sadistic one. "I want to have that power."_

"_Aizen, you meanie." Gin teased. "I thought you have your eyes on Isshin Kurosaki's daughter now? I mean, she's really incredible and her reiatsu is so powerful."_

"_Why, Gin? You want Ichigo all to yourself?" He smiled._

Ichigo's eyes narrowed as Aizen padded towards him. He wanted to leave the place, to run, to hide. But he knew that Shiro would kill him if he did.

'_**It's good that you know, King.' **_Shiro said. _**'I can beat him for you if you want. I'll take over for a while, but only if you want. Zangetsu will kill me if I take over forcefully.'**_

Ichigo felt incredible surge of ease at the voice that kept him company, even if that voice wouldn't actually lay a finger even if a battle ensues. Zangetsu had always been strict on Shiro. The old man knew that Shiro would lash out if he ever came out and he told Ichigo not to let the Hollow out except when truly needed, not that Shiro was actually bored inside his inner world. The Hollow was lazy even though he was strong so he just liked watching from the sidelines or battling Zangetsu, but not controlling a stiff body of a teen who refused to even openly smile.

"Please don't be nervous, Ichigo." Aizen voiced as he immediately closed the distance between him and the boy. He cupped Ichigo's chin and felt the teen flinched at his touch. "Why is it that you fear me so?" Gin smirked at that. Of course, anyone who knew Aizen's real identity would fear him, not that the boy knew of course. Maybe Ichigo could just feel unease when it came to Aizen.

"Stop harassing me, Aizen." Ichigo finally said as he step back to slip away from Aizen's touch. "I'm just feeling unease because of our last meeting."

Aizen smiled. "Ah. I apologize if I ever displease you, Ichigo. But my Division is still waiting for your answer."

Ichigo thought for a moment before he remembered what Aizen was supposed to be saying. "I believe that if ever I want to join a Squad, I would like it to be in the 13th Division, where Chichi is. It's nothing personal, Aizen. I just feel like I want to help Chichi's division more than anyone's." His voice was steady and his eyes never left the brunette's. Well, he was actually saying the truth so there was no way he was lying.

Aizen was about to say more when they all felt the sudden surge of reiatsu and Ichigo was never more thankful to feel it.

"There you are, Ichigo!" Kenpachi blurted, grinning manically at the sight of his now favorite sparring partner. "I believe you owe me one for ditching me earlier though you said you'd wait for me." And then he acted like he just saw Aizen. "Oh? Azien-taichou? What might you be doing here?"

"I believe I was just admiring the view here, and admiring having Ichigo in my Division in the future. That's all." Aizen smiled, in a way that suggested it was kind. By now, though, both Kenpachi and Ichigo knew that it was merely a fake. "Ichimaru-taichou and I will be leaving for now. Ichigo, please do consider my proposal." He tipped his head towards the two before he left with Gin.

"That one is a little stubborn, Ichigo." Kenpachi voiced just as the teen turned around and looked at him.

"Kenpachi, thank you for finding me here." Ichigo smiled. "I thought he'd harass me again."

Kenpachi grinned. "And in return, you owe me a spar."

.

.tbc.

.

**Ren-sama's Note:**

**I know, I know. This is supposed to be a ByaIchi fict and yet there is still no such thing here. But I also want it to have a story other than romance between the two. And besides, it's fun to have their love blossom from hate, right? Please review!**


	9. Chapter 9

**Ren-sama's Note:**

**I really blush every time I read all of your reviews. It makes my heart swell with much gladness and I sincerely thank you for supporting me. I appreciate it so much that you find time to leave some comments before exiting the page. Than you very much! **

**For those who think that I make Ichigo too girly with all the feminine adjectives… well, I apologize, but I kind of like describing him in such a way. (I know he's masculine and all, which will be proven in some chapters up ahead, but…) I still want him to appear as the uke that he is. (Yep, sorry but an uke for me is always described as such.) ˆoˆ**

**And for those who are confused with the time span, Ichigo is 9 years old when he died. He spent the first 8 years in the care of his baa-chan. Then his baa-chan died, and Juushirou and Kaien found him. Kaien taught him many things and became his older brother for another 8 years before the said man died too. (Basically, it has already been sixteen years since he died, making him 25 years old by now, though his appearance remained that of an eighteen year old.) **

**Also, only a handful of Shinigamis know about Ichigo's real surname and the teen's preference to be called as such. Byakuya only knew because Juushirou is his mentor. So please don't be confused if other Shinigamis call Ichigo 'Ukitake' while others call him 'Kurosaki'. Other questions will be answered in some of the chapters ahead. I don't want to spoil anything so please be patient. ˆoˆ**

**Anyway, here's the next chapter. Enjoy!**

**.**

**.**

**Chapter 9**

For two weeks now, Ichigo had always found himself sparring with either Renji or Kenpachi every afternoon in the clearing at the outskirt of the 78th District of Rukongai. Sometimes, both were present – the other watching while the other sparred against him. Sometimes it's Ichigo and Renji against Kenpachi or Kenpachi and Renji against Ichigo. Of course, there's no way Renji would go against Ichigo and Kenpachi at the same time. It's suicide if he did that. He couldn't even beat Ichigo on his own and then he would try to beat him while also fighting against Kenpachi? That's preposterous, if not totally insane.

Ichigo could feel his blood warming at the prospect of fighting now and he thought that Kenpachi's attitude was rubbing off on him. Even Shiro and Zangetsu seemed satisfied every time he came home from a fight. Lately, because he was so busy fighting and making friends with Renji and Kenpachi, and even Yachiru, his inner world rains lesser and lesser. Zangetsu even said that Ichigo should start practicing with his two opponents using kidou. Of course, Renji and Kenpachi hated it every time Ichigo would use kidou against them because they both sucked at it. They could only dodge or block the spells using their swords; in Kenpachi's case, using his muscled body when the kidou was just a lower digit.

Kenpachi and Ichigo never talked about Aizen when Renji was present. Not that they felt Renji wouldn't keep his mouth shut. They just both felt, without having to explicitly say it, that they didn't want Renji involved in something that might be proven dangerous. Yachiru never joined in their conversation about Aizen too. She just listened sometimes but she was more inclined to watch a butterfly flew around them than join in.

And now, Kenpachi and Ichigo both sat in the shade of a huge tree as they both watched Renji practice with his kidou in the clearing. They just finished their trio sparring and Renji wanted to at least have leverage against Ichigo or Kenpachi by practicing his kidou skills.

"So, Ichigo, did Aizen harass you again?" Kenpachi grinned, though Ichigo could sense the seriousness in his tone. The taichou's voice was quiet, probably so Renji wouldn't hear their conversation. They watched as Yachiru scolded Renji for sucking at kidou before she showed him again how it was done. It was a cute scene, watching Renji get flustered every time Yachiru would kick his face and tell him that his stance was wrong, or his incantation was wrong. She was in full teaching mode and Renji in student mode.

"Yesterday, he cornered me and asked me again if I changed my mind about the Division thing." Ichigo sighed as he answered just as quietly. "He's getting way too troublesome, Kenpachi, so much so that it feels like he really wants me under his wing no matter what."

Kenpachi didn't answer for a while. He shifted in his seat before he voiced, "I initially think that Aizen-taichou and Ichimaru-taichou are nemesis, at least until I saw both of them hovering over you in that forest one afternoon two weeks ago." He snorted. "I bet they're planning something massive if they're planning on recruiting you in their Division."

Ichigo smirked. "They can't have me. Chichi is way in need of subordinates than them."

"Anyway, Ichigo, it's good that you can control your temper in front of him. It'll get you in trouble if you ever fight back against him. Even if you're strong enough to beat him, you will not want to have all the other Taichous on your tail."

Ichigo shivered having to think about that. "Yeah, if everyone is as strong as you, Kenpachi, then I think I might want to endure his constantly annoying presence for now." Kenpachi grinned at the obvious compliment.

"Anyway, I can't see anything peculiar in him." Kenpachi said. "It's either he doesn't have any ulterior motive in killing that Shinigami or even his recruitment of you, or that he's rather good at hiding it." Ichigo nodded in assent just as Renji's face met Yachiru's waraji once again.

After that, they went to some pub in Rukongai and Kenpachi immediately received some stares from the people because of his haori. Renji and Kenpachi drank sake while Ichigo and Yachiru drank juice, much to Ichigo's embarrassment because Renji couldn't help but tease him.

"So, why can't you drink, Ichigo?" Renji couldn't help but ask. "Aside from the fact that Ukitake-taichou forbids you."

Ichigo scratched the back of his head, tousling his spiky hair even more, before he answered. "Because I can't hold my liquor. And when I'm drunk, I loss control of my reiatsu and… Well, you know how my full power feels, Renji."

Renji held back a shiver. He had only watched Ichigo and Kenpachi go all out twice and he never wanted to experience the immense pressure again. He was just a spectator but it felt like he was choking from the killing intent so thick he could almost touch it in the air. Ichigo's reiatsu was normally warm and bright (not that he could fully feel it what with all the suppressing that Ichigo unconsciously did), but when he fought, it turned really dark and deadly, like it was someone else's.

"Remind me to not let a single drop of alcohol touch your drink or food." Renji said before he added, "Any suggestion as to what we should do in case you 'accidentally' drank alcohol?"

Ichigo narrowed his eyes before he answered. "Knock me out." Renji grinned. Well, that was easy, _though _o_nly if Ichigo wouldn't get too serious and start a fight._

Kenpachi ordered something extremely delicious and Renji ordered something extremely cheap. The difference in their wage was so vast that Renji wanted to cry on Ichigo's shoulder just then. Ichigo didn't work, but he sometimes helped in the 13th Division's paperwork or helped Ikkaku train some newbie in the 11th Division, or sometimes even helped in Renji's paperwork, without Byakuya's knowledge of course. He remembered the one time that Byakuya caught them and he wouldn't forget it.

"_Ichigo, are you sure you want to help?" Renji asked, though he was already giving Ichigo the papers that just needed some stamping. Ichigo nodded before he accepted them. _

_Both sat in a seiza in Renji's office while the huge stack of papers lay before them. After several minutes of working, the door slammed open and both men looked up to see Byakuya eyeing them both coldly._

"_What are you doing here, Ichigo Kurosaki?" He asked in the coldest tone possible. "You do not belong here. You better get out before I call Ukitake-taichou about your actions."_

_Ichigo scowled at him. "Just so you know, Byakuya. I'm not annoying Renji or anything like that. I'm here to help him with paperwork." And he stood up smugly._

_Renji's eyes widened when he saw Byakuya's eyes narrowed in silent anger. He immediately grabbed Ichigo's arm and shouted. "Run, Ichigo!"_

"_Huh?" But before Renji could answer, both of them heard the quiet voice that spoke of two deadly words._

"_Chire, Senbonzakura." And Ichigo shunpo'd away from the Division with all his might. After that, the two of them made sure not to make Ichigo help, at least not in the office. _

_Yes, it seemed Byakuya was still angry at the teen when Ichigo acted so rudely towards him that night in the street of Rukongai._

The teen was even surprised that Yachiru seemed to be close to Byakuya and even called the man Byakushi every time they talked about him. He also learned from Renji many things about the man, small things and big things; that Byakuya was relatively cold to everyone, not just to Ichigo; that the man never smiled nor even show any emotion other than smoldering coldness and iciness that was accompanied by harsh words and deep apathy; that Byakuya never liked sweet things and hated drinking coffee; that he liked his tea without adding anything to it; that he liked overly nutritious foods and hated imbalance in diet; that he hated it when Ichigo called him by name, so familiarly, and without any honorifics as if they were friends. Byakuya felt that it was pure insult and insolence to be called so familiarly by a kid as if they were equals. And that Byakuya was so orderly in everything he did, like a machine, unfeeling and mechanical in everything; that Byakuya valued pride and honor of the Kuchiki clan and Soul Society over everything else. The man basically lived through valuing and preserving his clan's pride and dignity.

And that, despite the honor and pride of the Kuchiki clan that ran through his veins like blood, Byakuya had a wife named Hisana who died because of an illness. Their relationship was ostracized by everyone because Hisana was a distant cousin. She even looked strikingly like Rukia. Even though they were in Soul Society and they were nobles, incest was still a taboo subject for everyone. The Kuchiki pride suffered because of it and the Kuchiki heir turned icier and more stoic and aloof because of it – the shame of the clan and the pain of losing his wife. And thus, the current Byakuya.

And yet, that current Byakuya whom everyone stayed away from wasn't even able to make a certain pink-haired kid stay away, much to Ichigo's silent amusement every time Yachiru spoke of her visits in Byakuya's office.

"Ichi!" Yachiru spoke and the teen turned to look at her. She held out a small pouch and Ichigo blinked. "It's your reward for always sparring with Kenny."

He accepted it and smiled when he saw the candies and lollipops inside. For Yachiru to give up her candies and lollipop was unheard of. He thanked Yachiru before he opened one candy and tossed it into his mouth.

"Hey, Ichigo." Renji called. "There's a rumor that says Aizen-taichou wants you to join in his Squad. And that you keep on refusing his proposal because you think that you want to be a Captain in 13th Squad like Ukitake-taichou is."

"What?" Ichigo immediately answered. "I'm refusing his proposal because I have no intention of ever being a Shinigami!" He sighed in exasperation because sometimes the rumors were the trouble themselves and not the incident concerning them. "Who would want to have so much paperwork anyway?"

"I don't do any of the Captain's paperwork." Kenpachi answered and both Ichigo and Renji looked at him, both amazed and incredulous at the same time.

"I do everything for Kenny!" Yachiru chirped, and immediately Ichigo feared the future of the 11th Squad. "But sometimes baldy or Yumi-chan helps." Renji couldn't help but smirked at the nickname she came up for Ikkaku. If the guy found out, he'd definitely run amok. The one thing Ikkaku didn't like was to be called _that_.

Ichigo watched as Renji emptied his second bottle of sake. Kenpachi already finished his third but it didn't look like he was affected at all. Yachiru happily ate her meal and Ichigo couldn't help but feel that these Shinigami weren't that bad after all, _except Aizen of course. And Gin, since the guy was basically the brunette's right-hand man. _

When they said goodbye to one another and Ichigo had made it home, he couldn't help but think that maybe, _just maybe,_ when he was older, then he might join the Shinigamis. But he refused to go to Shinigami Academy. He knew that he was denying Zangetsu's, and his, identity, as Shiro said it. But he still didn't want to be directly involved in the Shinigami business. He didn't want to see a Hollow attacking a comrade, or any Hollow at all.

'_**Hey, if you don't want to see a Hollow, then make sure to break all the mirrors in front of you so you'll not see yourself.' **_Shiro smirked. Ichigo couldn't see him but the teen knew that his Hollow was smirking just from the sound of his distorted voice. He fought back a growl. He wasn't a full Hollow, just half. He sat in a seiza and poured himself a tea. The sun was setting and Juushirou would come home any minute now.

By now, he already knew that he was a unique entity. That's why he had a very unique reiatsu and a Hollow inside him together with a zanpakutou ever since birth. In one of his visits in Seireitei Library just for the sake of it, he came across to the process of Hollowfication. It's a book about experiments. When he asked Juushirou about it, the older male told him of a hundred year old story about Hollowfication process.

About a hundred years ago, a forbidden experiment occurred in Seireitei. The culprit was named Kisuke Urahara, the former 12th Squad Taichou, and he was vanished to the living world as punishment for his crimes. And his crime: the forbidden Hollowfication, the process of turning a Shinigami into a Hollow to acquire both powers; and he turned nine Shinigamis, four Taichous and five fukutaichous. He was sentenced together with his crime accomplice Tessai Tsukabishi, the Kidou Corps Chief then, for the experimentation. Some said that those Shinigamis that were experimented by them, now called the Vizards, lived in the human world up until now, still holding a grudge against Soul Society that they were so readily thrown away just because they had Hollows inside their bodies now.

_And one of those fukutaichous' name was Masaki._

Ichigo walked outside the house and into the dojo in the backyard. So he was partly human, partly Hollow, and partly Shinigami when he was alive. And now though, he didn't know if the part human was still there. But he still considered himself a Vizard even though he didn't enter the apparently agonizing process of hollowfication.

He learned the story because of his insistence and because Juushirou made him promise not to tell anyone about it. It seemed that even now, those who were in position back then never mentioned that story.

He sighed as he lay on his back in his dojo. He was startled when Zangetsu materialized beside him that he jolted up. "Z-Zangetsu!" He exclaimed in surprise. "Y-You're…"

"You've been training for over eight years now, Ichigo." Zangetsu said monotonously. "And even though you're young, your reiatsu is already taichou-class. The immensity of it already enables me to materialize outside your inner world."

Ichigo blinked as he slowly relaxed. "But… don't zanpakutou only materialize when the Shinigami has already achieved, or at least close to achieving, what they call the 'Bankai'? I don't even have a Shikai."

"Your zanpakutou has always been in Shikai form, Ichigo. As for the Bankai," He closed his eyes. "I already said that you've been training for the last eight years now. You're close to achieving it."

"Oh." Ichigo looked amazed before he grinned. "How do I achieve it, Zangetsu?"

Zangetsu opened his eyes and looked at Ichigo with his intense gaze behind the glasses. "You will have to defeat me in a fight and force me into submission."

Ichigo felt his chest tightened just as his grin vanished. "But…" Somehow, the fact that Zangetsu so easily talked about submission didn't sit well them him. Ichigo treated both Shiro and Zangetsu not just as his powers but his companions in his inner world. He treated them as friends, friends that quietly supported him in his growth and in his battles.

"You will have to fight me, or you'll never grow stronger." Zangetsu voiced before he disappeared. _'Like I said, comes with great power a great responsibility. You need not rush things, Ichigo. Once you think you're ready to come and face me, then we will fight.'_

Ichigo thought about it as he lay down on the wooden floor again. It was his wish to protect those whom he cherished. Miyako once told him that if he wanted to cherish someone, he had to be strong enough to protect them. He initially took the wrong meaning of those words and felt that if he was weak, he had no right to cherish anyone. But then Kaien corrected him and told him that all he had to do was be strong. _And that's all there was to it._

Kaien and Miyako were now dead, but their memories would forever retain in his mind. _If he wanted to cherish someone, he should be strong enough to protect them. _Right now, the number of his cherished people was slowly but gradually increasing. And he feared that he wasn't strong enough to protect them yet. _And he had to have the strength and the will, and the power, to do so._

'_**The only one you need to protect is yourself, King.' **_Shiro said in his mind.

"I want to protect them, Shiro." Ichigo answered. Since he was alone anyway, he knew that he could just answer loudly.

'_**Those people can protect themselves, you know. Not to mention that there are other people who cherish them and are willing to protect them too. You don't have to act so martyr and protect them all. Because if that happens, who will protect you, King?'**_

Ichigo was about to form a retort when he realized he didn't have one. Of course, he would like to protect all of them: Juushirou, Renji, Rukia, and the others, and maybe Kenpachi and Yachiru too, even if the brash taichou wouldn't like it. But if his power would be used to protect them, then there would be no one to protect him. "I know… I just… don't want to lose someone precious to me anymore…"

"Ichigo-kun?" Ichigo turned to the door and saw Juushirou peering from it. "Are you talking to someone?"

"No, just talking to myself." He smiled before he realized that it was already dark outside. The two of them walked towards the dining area and had their dinner quietly but comfortably.

**. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .**

Ichigo continued the routine of fighting with Renji and/or Kenpachi for the next several days while Zangetsu materialized some nights and talked to him, leaving Shiro alone in their inner world. Not that the Hollow minded that there's no one who would scold him to not do this or that.

And after over a week, the orange-haired teen realized that Renji was becoming really restless. It was afternoon and the two of them were in Rukongai. Kenpachi couldn't make it because the taichou had to finish a paperwork that Yachiru messed up badly because of her handwriting, not that there would be any improvement if it was Kenpachi's handwriting on that paper.

Ichigo and Renji sparred for a while before the teen realized that Renji's mind was somewhere else and not even a good amount of fighting could clear his head of it.

"So, what's bothering you that you can't even concentrate in our fight?" Ichigo asked as they stayed under the shade of a tree.

Renji sighed. "Rukia." He closed his eyes and let the pain show on his feature. "It's been over two months now. And Central 46 already issued a search for her. It's been reported that she gave her Shinigami powers to a human and lost all of it. It's a crime, Ichigo. And I'm going to arrest her together with Kuchiki-taichou tonight."

Ichigo stiffened at that. "Why is that a crime again?"

"It's in the same page as abuse of power, or something like that." Renji answered quietly. "And it's also connected to disrupting the flow of energy in souls, which is very important. For her to do that even though she knew it's illegal… And on top of that, staying in the living world for over a month… There are too many charges against her, and I don't know if I can do anything about it, Ichigo. I want to help her, I really do…"

"I'll tell Chichi later, though I know he probably already knows." Ichigo said as he patted Renji's shoulder. "Don't worry, it'll be alright. Her nii-sama will surely do something about it."

"I hope so." Renji answered. "But I still don't want her to be imprisoned for some years just because of that damned human." He gritted his teeth and clenched his fists. "I hate humans."

Ichigo couldn't do anything but let Renji feel that he felt the same about Rukia's situation, though he had nothing against humans in general. It's true that he had not seen her in the last four years, but that didn't mean that she meant lesser to him now. Ichigo still remembered her bright blue eyes and her silky soft raven hair. She might have been more serious in the last four years that he had last seen her but her smile and laugh were still genuine and incredibly warm. She was still very important to him. _She was one of his first friends in Soul Society after all, one of the two who survived with him and lived. _He might not feel the same feeling for her as Renji did, but he loved Rukia just as much as a best friend would.

_He just hoped that Byakuya was not as apathetic as he looked, and that he would side with her sister and defend her from Court 46's wrath._

After several minutes of comfortable silence, Renji finally said goodbye, saying he still had to prepare for his departure, and Ichigo hoped that everything would be alright for his friends.

The next morning, the news that Rukia was already captured, that she was currently held imprisoned was known to everyone, and Ichigo didn't waste time to go and visit her. But apparently, only those with titles or high ranks were allowed to go and see her. And Ichigo was refused a pass.

"Ichigo-kun, you know that's not possible." Juushirou answered patiently. Ichigo had wanted him to at least go and see Rukia in the teen's place.

"Why?" Ichigo asked and he's like a pouting child about to go in a tantrum.

"Simply because I'm her taichou." He answered. "I know how you feel, Ichigo. The helplessness and everything, but we will only make it hard for her if we go to her side now. And I'm not allowed to see her because I'm her Taichou. I'm practically on her side, even if what she did is wrong." Ichigo gritted his teeth before he left without a word. Juushirou sighed as he looked down on his paperwork again.

Ichigo could understand Juushirou's point. He wasn't angry at his chichi, not at all. He was just angry at the goddamn rule and everything that concerned it. He wanted to know where Renji was but he didn't want to go to 6th Division and risk seeing Byakuya there.

And thus, he waited for another day. But when it was suddenly announced that Rukia would be executed after 25 days in Sokyouku Hill, Ichigo immediately wanted to know all the details from Renji.

He thought that maybe Renji, or even Kenpachi, would go to the clearing and train. But he was alone when he got there and he felt thorough disappointment. He really wished that everything would turn out fine for Rukia. He wished that he could do something, do something right for his friends. He wished his friends would be alright in the end, though it was a bleak wish.

_The thing was, he forgot to wish about that for himself._

He trained some more in the clearing because it felt good to him to let his reiatsu all out. The rage, pain, sorrow, hopelessness all intermingled in his reiatsu and he knew there would be injuries if one ever came too near to feel his spiritual pressure. It was hard to do, keeping his immensely disturbed reiatsu all inside him and try to look like everything was fine. He decided to return to Seireitei when it was already dark enough and he was sure that Juushirou would already be home. He hadn't talked to Juushirou since the incident yesterday morning and he knew he was making Juushirou feel bad. He decided that he would apologize tonight and then he would plan to rescue Rukia some way or another. He just didn't know where to go after that, not that he was confident about his ability to escape together with a criminal that was about to be executed.

He decided to shunpo from building to building and felt the damp night air on his sweat-slicked skin. He turned around a corner and was surprised to have Aizen waiting for him there. Actually, he wasn't about to stop until Gin made _that_ move.

"Shoot em dead, Shinsou." An elongated sword immediately attacked Ichigo out of nowhere and though he was able to dodge it, he completely stopped in his tracks and was forced in Aizen and Gin's company.

"Yo, Ichigo!" Gin greeted while grinning as if he didn't just attacked the teen.

"Why did you do that!?" Ichigo was particularly irked at this moment and he wasn't sure if he could withstand Aizen's presence right now. Hell, he didn't even know if he could stand suppressing his reiatsu with Aizen just a few meters away, looking smug when he reacted like that.

"Well, you won't stop and would simply pass us by if I didn't do something like that so I did it." Gin simply answered as if trying to pierce his sword into another person was just natural if he wanted them to stop in their tracks.

Ichigo was about to retaliate when Aizen started walking towards him. "My, my, Ichigo. It seems you're particularly irked this evening. Is it about Rukia Kuchiki and her execution?"

Ichigo felt his body stiffened in silent fury. Aizen talked about it as if he was talking about the weather and not a Shinigami's life. And then, in his mind he remembered how Aizen maintained his smile though he just killed another Shinigami.

"You can't do anything about Rukia Kuchiki, you know. She's fated to die at Sokyouku Hill 25 days from now." Aizen said coolly and Ichigo clenched his fists. "All we have to do is make sure not to have the same poor soul like her again. It's utter foolishness if she thinks that she'll get away from her crime just because she's a Kuchiki."

Gin watched as Ichigo's reiatsu started to surge. It was incredibly immense. Aizen's plan was working. It seemed this boy was so easily fooled like everybody else. Just a little more and the plan would be perfect.

"Rukia does not think of using her family name just to get away from her crime." Ichigo's voice was barely steady. She was the most humble noble he had ever met, not to mention the kindest. He was fuming so much that he felt he might attack Aizen if he didn't walk away from the place.

"But it doesn't change the fact that her foolishness got her into this mess. Now, because of her, the Kuchiki clan will have to endure another humiliation. It's heartbreaking to be humiliated, you know. Much more heartbreaking than getting executed. If I may say, I think that she deserves her punishment."

And that was the last straw. Ichigo immediately vanished from his position and appeared just in front of Aizen within seconds as his sword clashed against the Taichou's. He knew he shouldn't be doing this, that it would ruin Juushirou's credibility. But he couldn't help but feel satisfaction at the fact that he was able to at least act, if not voice, his dissent and his rage about Aizen's words.

They clashed swords for a minute before Ichigo realized that both their reiatsus were no longer suppressed and he cursed under his breath. He would be scolded by his chichi when he got home. He immediately stopped and moved away. "Screw your rules, Aizen. Rukia doesn't deserve to die." And with that, he left the two Taichous who were disturbingly looking satisfied at the outcome of everything, especially Aizen.

He went home and met the pained eyes of his chichi who was currently seating in seiza in their living room. He sat in front of his guardian and looked at Juushirou directly. "I apologize for my behavior yesterday morning, Chichi."

Juushirou sighed. "It's alright. I'm sorry too. If only I can do something about it without breaking the rules…" Ichigo looked down. It seemed he would never like how Seireitei operated. These rules were truly suffocating for someone like him. "And Ichigo, I felt your reiatsu earlier together with Aizen-taichou's. Did you two have a fight?"

He nodded. "Sorry, I was angry because he said that Rukia deserves her death punishment. And I attacked him…"

Juushirou's eyes narrowed. "Aizen said something like that?"

"Yes, his reason was that she humiliates not only her noble clan but Seireitei's rules as well." Ichigo clenched his fists again. "I'm sorry, Chichi. It might bring you some trouble… I don't want to apologize to him though…"

Juushirou stood up from his seat and sat beside Ichigo before he ruffled Ichigo's hair. "Don't worry about it. Have you eaten, son?"

He smiled a tad. "Not yet."

Juushirou smiled. "I'll bring the food. Wait here." Ichigo nodded as he watched Juushirou stood up and disappeared into the kitchen. He could see how the toll of losing another subordinate was taking its effect on him. Juushirou looked more tired than usual and his expression was pained.

After that, they both ate in silence. Juushirou coughed a few times but Ichigo was quick in giving him water. They finished their supper fast and Ichigo watched as his chichi drank his medicine. He couldn't help but feel dread. He felt like something would be gone wrong. There was something nagging at his heart and it was clenching in a very painful way.

Juushirou saw the pain in his son's eyes and immediately knew that whatever Aizen said to Ichigo made his son totally vulnerable. He would have to talk to Aizen, not tomorrow but now. He stood up and was surprised to see that Ichigo looked scared all of a sudden. "Ichigo-kun, what's wrong?"

Ichigo couldn't help it. He couldn't help but feel that something bad would happen. "Nothing… Maybe I was just tired. I'll try to relax in the dojo." Juushirou ruffled his hair again and the man smiled at him.

"You've really grown, Ichigo-kun. I'm glad to be your parent." He said and the feeling of dread immediately sky-rocketed inside the teen.

Juushirou was about to get ready to leave the house when he was surprised to have Ichigo hugged him from behind. He immediately blushed because Ichigo wasn't someone to show physical affection.

"Chichi, don't go anywhere, okay?" He mumbled. He feared that Juushirou would go somewhere and he was afraid for reasons he didn't know why.

Juushirou turned around and kissed his son's head. "Of course, son."

After that, Ichigo went to the dojo to relax his mind and his emotion. The events were taking a toll on him as well, even if he admitted it or not. He felt tired and he was restless. He lay on his back and willed himself to relax.

'_**Yo, King.' **_Ichigo looked at his Hollow counterpart and he knew that he was dragged to his inner world again. And it was raining.

'_Ichigo, do you know of intuition?' _Zangetsu asked so suddenly.

"Ah, yeah, I guess. Instinct, right? Or something like that." He answered.

'_Ichigo, I think that your intuition is warning you that something is about to happen. Something that can make the rain in your inner world turn into storm.' _Zangetsu voiced and suddenly Ichigo didn't feel like relaxing anymore.

"What do you mean, Zangetsu-ojii-san?" He stood up as he looked in between Zangetsu and Shiro.

'_**He means, King, that you better stay close to your loved ones because there–' **_Ichigo didn't wait for him to finish anymore. He willed himself to leave his inner world and went back to the house, only to find that Juushirou wasn't there anymore. _Oh, God…_

And the feeling of dread escalated even more. "Chichi!?" He shunpo'd outside and tried his best to trace any reiatsu that belonged to his chichi, and when he felt it, he didn't waste time to follow the trail. The place he was tracing was near the meeting hall and he was sure this was the place he last saw Aizen. His fear grew. And in just a second, he almost fell on his knees when he felt his father's reiatsu dropped into nothingness.

He immediately shunpo'd to the place and what he saw made his eyes wide and his heart stop.

"C-Chichi..?" The voice didn't feel like it came from him. It sounded so far away and so eerie to be his. Not far from him, an anguished pitiful shriek broke the night's silence and he knew who the voice belonged to.

.

.tbc.

.

**Ren-sama's Note:**

**(*sigh*) Another chapter without ByaIchi goodness. But please have patience…**

**And yeah, I know. It keeps getting worse before it gets better. Please review? **


	10. Chapter 10

**Ren-sama's Note:**

**Belated Happy New Year to everyone! Once again, I thank you all for your continuous support and comments! OTL **

**I hope that you continue to enjoy and also support this fict.**

**I want to tell you that if anyone ever wonder why I keep on using 'teen' to refer to Ichigo even though he was already a twenty-five year old man, it's because of the fact that he still looks like a teen in this fict (he looks like he's in his eighteen.) And besides, using teen to refer to Ichigo is a lot easier. ˆoˆ**

**.**

**Chapter 10**

"C-Chichi..?" The voice didn't sound or feel like it came from him. It sounded so far away and so eerie to be his. Not far from him, an anguished pitiful shriek broke the night's silence and he knew who the voice belonged to.

He knew it but he didn't care who it was anymore. He didn't care what it was that made her cry in agony like that. All he cared about was the figure in front of him, the one pinned on the wall, with blood oozing from his body and down from the wall to the ground.

He felt like he was suffocating. "Chi…" He couldn't move. Juushirou was alive just earlier. _Why was he pinned on the wall as a bloodied corpse now? Why was he lifeless and cold now? _And he knew, there was no one who would ruffle his hair anymore, no one to call him son, no one to share hundred year old stories to him… No one to call chichi… No one to treat as family… No one to look at him warmly, even if he did something mischievous… No one to love him as much as Juushirou did… "Chichi…"

He wanted to cry. He wanted so much to cry his heart out until he dies… But there was no shoulder to lean on anymore, no more comforting words and warm, gentle hands to make him feel safe. _Juushirou was gone… His guardian, his beloved father was gone…_

And he was still in that position when he felt the attack coming from his left. He dodged just in time and everything returned to normal. He could hear the other Shinigamis' presences now; he could hear the sobs, the mumbles, and the shriek that came from the woman who had just attacked him.

"It's you, isn't it!?" Momo was crying but her expression was twisted into fury. "You killed Aizen-taichou!" And she attacked him again. "Hajike, Tobiume!" And fire erupted from her zanpakutou, about to burst Ichigo's whole body with it when Toshirou stepped in the way and blocked the fire with his zanpakutou. Rangiku and Renji immediately subdued her and Ichigo watched as she tried to struggle against them. Toshirou immediately gave the order that she be imprisoned for a while for attacking someone.

"My condolence, Kurosaki." His expression was his usual scowl but his eyes held the deep sadness and pain for the loss of Juushirou. "And also, I apologize for Hinamori-fukutaichou's behavior." He bowed a little before he moved away.

Renji went to Ichigo's side the moment Momo had been taken away. "Ichigo, Aizen-taichou was on the other side of this wall. Your reiatsu was still all over the place because you fought with him here earlier. No one could sense anyone else's reiatsu beyond the vicinity except yours, Aizen-taichou's, and Ukitake-taichou's."

Ichigo heard it. He knew that he was going to be arrested until he was proven innocent. But he had no mind nor will to argue. Let them do what they want.

Renji shook him when he didn't answer, and when he still didn't answer, the redhead shook him harder, his nails digging onto Ichigo's arms painfully. "Listen, Ichigo. From the looks of things, it will seem like you killed Aizen-taichou and Ukitake-taichou tonight. Don't you understand!? You will be executed too!"

"I will never… hurt chichi…" He answered, feeling that his hoarse voice still sounded so far away. His mind still couldn't comprehend what was happening and his body was still too shock to move.

"I know. I know… and I also feel bad about what happened to Ukitake-taichou…" Renji answered, still shaking Ichigo lightly. "But Ichigo, if you don't go now, they will arrest you. It's not a matter of not trying to escape to prove that you're innocent, Ichigo. Everyone will think that you did it and will not even doubt the evidence pointing the crime to you." Renji felt like breaking up as well. First Rukia, then Ichigo too. And his friend had just experienced death once more.

And before they knew it, the Kidou Corps had already arrived and bound Ichigo using a Bakudo.

"Ichigo Ukitake, you are by now arrested for taking the life of two Taichous just because they knew of your dark secret." One of them said and Ichigo looked at him with dead expression. He didn't know what they were talking about. "Aizen-taichou left a message on his office table, telling us that you are, in fact, not a Shinigami but a Vizard, a creature with both Shinigami and Hollow powers. The letter says that he will try to confront you about it tonight, and that if he didn't come back, the only one who could've murdered him was you. The evidence clearly says that Aizen-taichou tried to confront you about it earlier but you lashed out at him and killed him. Your father, Juushirou Ukitake-taichou came here and probably saw what you did to Aizen-taichou. And you killed him as well."

Renji couldn't believe what he just heard. _Ichigo was a Vizard? _But that's impossible… He looked at Ichigo's dead expression and saw that somewhere deep inside the other teen's eyes, Ichigo was shocked. But that didn't mean that it was already Ichigo who did everything! _But Aizen-taichou's letter was clearly hard evidence… _

"So he knew I am a Vizard." Ichigo voiced quietly. "I did not kill Aizen though. And I would never even think of laying a finger on Chichi."

"Your lies will get you nowhere, Vizard." Another one of them said. "You better get ready for the execution that is about to come unto you." And without any other word, he was already taken away. The orange-haired teen was still shaken by the death of his father that he didn't even struggle. Renji couldn't do anything but watch. He knew that Ichigo wouldn't do such a thing, but it was no use. Hell, he didn't even realize that Ichigo was not pure Shinigami.

"Are you thinking it's no use, Pineapple?" Yachiru chirped from behind him and when he turned around, looking all hopeless, he saw that Kenpachi was grinning. Beside him were Yumichika and Ikkaku, also grinning. _11__th__ Division Squad members grinning together were never a good sign._

Ichigo felt so helpless and distraught. Juushirou looked so horrible, pinned to the wall like that, and by his own zanpakutou Sougyo no Kotowari no less. The image wouldn't go away and Ichigo felt like he wanted to hit his head on the wall just to erase his memory of it. His hands were bound and he couldn't feel his reiatsu at all. All he knew was the fact that he was about to be executed too because he killed not just one but two Taichous, or so everybody thought. Not to mention that now, everyone would know who he truly was. It's either they would vanish him from Soul Society, or they would execute him.

'_**King, we have to leave this place.' **_Shiro voiced inside his head. _**'You had to have the will to at least survive, if you want to avenge your chichi's death.' **_Ichigo's attention perked up at that. And Shiro used that opportunity to make Ichigo choose life. _**'Your chichi was killed. What do you think will happen if you are killed too? Juushirou will be upset, not to mention that his killer will probably be having a party tomorrow. Do you want that? Do you want that killer to just roam around Seireitei, free and unpunished? You have to hide for now, at least until you clear your name.'**_

Ichigo's lifeless eyes gleamed a little at the prospect of having a goal – at the prospect of wanting to take revenge. And he was about to answer Shiro when the wall behind him exploded. He turned around and his eyes widened when he came face to face to a grinning Kenpachi and a beaming Yachiru on the Captain's shoulder. Kenpachi immediately manhandled him and tossed him over muscled shoulder before he even realized what's happening.

Kenpachi shunpo'd swiftly towards the Senkai gate that they readied and threw Ichigo in it unceremoniously followed by a Hell Butterfly. They shoved Zangetsu to him as well.

"You better escape for now, Ichigo. This Senkai Gate is connected to the town Rukia Kuchiki scouted." Kenpachi said as Ichigo stood up, dusting himself, and placed Zangetsu on his back. "I don't want my favorite sparring buddy dying in front of me for a crime he didn't commit, you know." His grin widened. "And no matter what you are, you are still my favorite sparring buddy."

Ichigo looked at him with wide eyes, and then the others. Renji looked shaken but the pain in his eyes were real. He voiced his sentiment next. "We will clean your name, Ichigo. And when we did, I'll be the first one to take you back. But for now, you better go to the Human world and hide. And don't go flaunting your reiatsu because people from Seireitei might come for you. You better tell me your real identity the next time we meet. See you next time then."

"We offer our condolences to Ukitake-taichou's death, Kurosaki." Yumichika voiced solemnly. "But don't you dare try to kill yourself after our attempt to save your life, you understand!?" He crossed his arms over his chest as he let out a huff.

Ikkaku looked at him with utter seriousness. "We'll also do some investigation about Ukitake-taichou's death, though it's not the Eleventh Squad's forte. So you keep your end of the deal and live."

"We'll see each other again, Ichi!" Yahicru chirped, though she had a mature smile for once.

He looked at them for a while, touched at their apparent kindness, before he bowed. "Thank you, everyone, for believing in me. And not judging me for who I am." He then looked up and his eyes were almost ablaze. "I will definitely live and come back here once more. And when I did, I'll make sure to avenge chichi." They all nodded before the gate closed.

It was dark and he walked aimlessly, only following the Hell Butterfly for direction. He walked for some minutes and he thought that he was going nowhere, already losing hope of ever coming out of the dark precipice, when a light, which looked like a door, appeared from a distance. The Hell Butterfly came out through the door and he immediately followed suit.

He almost lost his balance when he realized that he was at least a hundred meter up in the air, overlooking the small town called Karakura. He felt the cold night breeze on his face and the Senkai Gate closed from behind him. The moon hung at the sky, giving his figure an eerie light. He stayed in midair for a while, lost as to what he should do. And then he realized something. He didn't know this town. It's like everything was new to him, the houses, the infrastructures, the tall buildings, the roads. It's like he hadn't been here before. He had no memory of this town, not even the house he used to live in. _Though he knew that he lived here because of the nostalgia that gripped his heart the moment his gaze brushed through everything._

His black Shihakusho, the one that he wore only when training with Kenpachi and Renji, fluttered together with the sway of the wind as he descended down the road. His feet touched the concrete cement silently and he looked around. He was in front of abandoned warehouses. Everything was quiet and the light from a street lamp was flickering.

He took a step forward only to stop when he felt the tip of a sword pointing at his throat.

"Who are you?" The voice from behind him asked. That person had their hand circled around Ichigo's arm while holding the sword upward with its tip pointing at him. The teen's mind immediately reeled. He might be a little vulnerable right now because he was shaken by the death of his beloved chichi but for him to not feel anything until there was a sword pointed at his throat was kind of pathetic. He initially thought that the Gotei 13 had tailed him, but he thought again when the voice seemed unsure as to who he was.

"Ichigo Kurosaki." He answered, though he didn't move anymore, not wanting to provoke the person in any way.

A little blonde girl – different from the person behind him pointing a sword at his throat – appeared in front of him. She had a scowl that could rival against his. "We don't care about your name. We mean, who're you? Or rather, what are you?"

"Come on now, Hiyori. Don't be so rude." The guy, as what Ichigo surmised because of his deep guttural voice, dropped his sword and walked in front of Ichigo as well. The orange-haired teen saw that the guy was also blonde, though with a different shade than the girl Hiyori.

"We all know this one is a Shinigami. The question will be, what are you doing here in our turf?" A guy wearing the most extravagant scowl, if ever there was something like that, appeared from the shadows. He had white hair and muscular body. His eyes, naturally dark in color, had darkened even more with hostility.

Ichigo didn't know how to answer that though. What was he doing here anyway? Aside from the fact that he had just escaped from possible execution, he didn't know what he should do. Instead, he voiced an observation of his own. "I can see that you're not normal humans either." No, that was an understatement. He knew that the people in front of him were souls just like him. And that sword which the blonde guy held was clearly a zanpakutou. "Are you Shinigamis too?" He immediately settled on a defensive stance, taking Zangetsu from behind him and holding the sword out in front of him with two strong, steady hands.

The blonde guy grinned. "We are, and yet, we're not." Ichigo's brows creased at that, though he didn't voice out anything.

"It seems the boy doesn't trust Shinigami that much even though he just came from Soul Society wearing a Shinigami uniform." A tall female with long braided hair in high school uniform appeared from behind the scowling guy with white hair. Ichigo was cursing inwardly now. _How many of them were there? _Hell, he couldn't even feel any presence!

"He's panicking." Hiyori mused aloud, specifically talking to the blonde guy, before he turned to Ichigo again. "Oy, boy, judging from your reiatsu, we can say that you're just like us, though also a little bit different."

"I'm not panicking." Ichigo gripped Zangetsu harder. "And if you're here to bring me back to Seireitei, you will have to do it over my dead body."

The blonde guy grinned again. "Perfect." And just when Ichigo thought the guy would attack, the blonde simply shunpo'd, no, that wasn't a shunpo, over to him. He was surprised at the swiftness of the speed that he wasn't even able to react until the guy put an arm over his shoulder. "I'm Shinji Hirako, the Leader of the Vizards. Welcome to the club, Ichigo."

"…V-Vizards?" He voiced, before he remembered a hundred year old story that Juushirou told him. _Juushirou… _"You mean the old Shinigamis who were turned to a Hollow?"

"Right. And wrong." Shinji still had his arms over his shoulder as they all walked towards one of the abandoned warehouses. Ichigo immediately felt that they entered some kind of barrier and he tensed. "Relax. If you're one of us, then we won't hurt you, at least for now."

"So, you picked up a lost kitten from the street?" A male's voice said from inside the building.

Ichigo looked up and saw that the guy, one with long curly blonde locks that was ponytailed behind, was on the second floor. No, he didn't have any laser eyes that could see through the ceiling. It's just that there was no ceiling to begin with. Or rather, there was a huge hole in the middle of the building, making anyone see from the first floor to the third one.

"This is Ichigo Kurosaki, also a Vizard." Shinji finally let go of his arm and Ichigo saw the eight Vizards assembled in front of him, clearly scrutinizing him.

"How do you know that he's not an enemy sent by Aizen? Or any other Shinigami in Gotei 13 for that matter?" Another male voiced. He had brown afro style hair but with five pointy tips. "He just opened a Senkai Gate, right? That means he was given permission to go here."

"I just escaped from Seireitei. I got help from some people and they were the ones who readied the Senkai Gate for me." Ichigo said. If these people were really the Vizards, then there's no way they could drag Ichigo back to Soul Society because if they did, then they too would be caught.

"Why?" Hiyori sat on a nearby couch and put her chin over his palm. "Why would you want to escape from there? Or rather, what are you escaping from?"

Ichigo looked at them for a while, inwardly deciding whether it's worth it telling them the truth, before he answered in a straight voice. "I was accused of killing two Taichous, though it was merely a coincident that I was there at the time, or that my reiatsu enveloped the entire area."

Shinji's eyes narrowed. "Taichou? Who?" All of the other Vizards' curiosity was also piqued by that question and they all waited for the teen to answer.

"Sousuke Aizen… and Chichi," Ichigo voiced quietly. "I mean, Juushirou Ukitake."

He saw them looked at one another before they looked at Ichigo again. Shinji was the first one to talk. "Condolence to Ukitake-taichou's death… but are you sure Aizen is already dead?"

Ichigo looked at him with furrowed eyebrows. "No, I haven't seen his corpse. But it was reported and my reiatsu, it seems, was all over his body. What do you mean?"

Shinji merely shook his head, clearly implying that it was impossible. "Anyway, Ichigo. You better hide here for a while. If what you say is true, then Gotei 13 will be starting to search for you in the living world now."

He relaxed, not realizing his stance was so stiff, before he bowed in gratitude. "Thank you."

"Shinji!" Hiyori yelled. "You can't just adopt any stray cat here! We don't even know if he's saying the truth! What if he really is a criminal?"

"Hiyori, I'm sure he's telling the truth." Shinji said as he looked at Ichigo again. He was sure of that because the agony and anguish mixed with hatred and deep fury in the boy's reiatsu was smoldering, at least to a normal human. It wouldn't be good to let him out of the barrier for now because the boy was clearly shaken and confused. He'd only endanger the humans in the town. "Anyway, Ichigo. This little monkey here is Hiyori Sarugaki. The huge old fart with pink hair is Hachigen Ushoda. The scowling guy on your left is Kensei Muguruma. Lisa Yadoumaru is the perverted girl on your right." Shinji's introduction received some insults and groans.

Hiyori wore a red sweat pants and red jacket on top a white shirt. Hachigen wore a green suit with white sleeves underneath and an orange tie. Kensei had a sleeveless black shirt, khaki pants and boots. He also wore orange fingerless gloves.

"I'm Rojurou Otoribashi." The blonde with long curly hair smiled. "Just call me Rose." He obviously didn't want Shinji to have the advantage of introducing him. He's the only one wearing a formal suit aside from Hachigen. His suit was black on top of white long sleeves with ruffles along the button holes.

"Rabu Aikawa." The afro-haired man grinned. His sunglasses shone in the dimness of the moon. "Just call me Love." Ichigo's eyebrow twitched at that. He tried to remember the guy's surname instead. The guy wore blue sweat pants and jacket.

A petite androgynous girl with yellow-green hair bounced in front of him, making him take a step backward. "I'm Mashiro Kuna!" She chirped. She wore white one-piece skin-tight suit with orange designs. She also had an orange scarf on top. And without anyone telling him, he immediately knew that these people were a weird group.

Shinji made him sit together with them and have something to eat.

"So, can you tell us who you are? I mean, why you are in Seireitei in the first place, or something like that." Hiyori voiced over a mouthful of bread.

Ichigo looked at her, and them, for a while before he decided to answer. He told them about being in Rukongai when he died, and how he was adopted by Juushirou, though without the breaking and the agony of losing his baa-chan, Kaien, and just this night, his chichi too. The Vizards listened as the boy told of his story. The teen was obviously trying but failing to hide the anguish and the pain of losing Kaien and Juushirou. He told them of Aizen, too, though not in detail like he did with Kenpachi.

Afterwards, Shinji decided to tell him what truly happened a hundred year ago in payment for his story. Ichigo was shocked, to say the least, when he learned that it was Aizen who experimented on them, and that Urahara and Tessai were framed for the crime. They said that Aizen might even be the one responsible for Hollows' appearances in Rukongai in the last few years. It seemed Aizen was seeking the power of both Shinigami and Hollows and had experimented on many Shinigamis just to have it.

They also told him that they weren't convinced Aizen was really dead. There was no way a person of his strength and power would succumb to anyone so easily without Shinigamis tracing a reiatsu other than Ichigo's. Ichigo didn't know if he would feel insulted or not that they already believed he was saying the truth, because it was either they felt he was not the type to truly do something like that, or they just felt that he just wasn't that strong to be able to kill Aizen.

And judging from the pattern of how Urahara was framed for a crime he didn't commit, they all assumed that Ichigo was also framed by Aizen for the crime of killing two Taichous.

"Ichigo, the fact that Aizen knew you're a Vizard won't make him confront you, you know, since he's the one who has been experimenting about Vizards for a century now. He's a very cautious man who will not deal with things like that personally, or at least not without having a plan that can ensure his success." Shinji explained. "And if Aizen's corpse was really the one who died back there, then I think that you were used as a part of someone else's bigger plan. And that makes things more dangerous, because there aren't many people who can outwit that bastard Aizen."

"So, what're you going to do now, Berry-tan?" Mashiro asked, earning a glare-turned-grimace from Ichigo for the nickname.

"I want to get stronger and clear my name, and avenge Chichi as well. And… I want to rescue Rukia from execution." He answered, eyebrows furrowed in deep concentration as he recited what he wanted to do from now on. "Zangetsu said I'm close to achieving Bankai… but I still don't know how to do it."

"Everyone, do you want a younger brother to take care of? One who will definitely be a pain in the ass?" Shinji asked as he eyed his companions. Ichigo didn't understand his words at first, but when he did, his scowl returned. He watched as they first looked at him before they nodded.

"If it's connected to Aizen, we're willing to help." Rojurou said and Rabu nodded beside him.

"I think that he will be big, _big_ pain in the ass though." Hiyori said before she nodded.

"Let's get started then." Shinji grinned and his eyes screamed sadism. Ichigo had to gulp to hold himself from running away from the man.

After that, all of them rested for the night. From Ichigo's sixteen years in Soul Society, he managed to at least remember some important things from when he was still alive. And one of those things was his mother's name. Now that he was together with the Vizards, he knew he already had the chance to ask them about her – basing from the fact that Juushirou told him that there was someone named Masaki in the Vizards. _He needed to know more about himself and also, due to curiosity, about his past._

The next morning, Shinji showed him a white mannequin-like doll. "This is a materialization doll, Ichigo. This will help you achieve your bankai in three days. And after that, we'll go to the real problem." And after that, Ichigo really thought he'd never see the light of the sun again.

**. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .**

"And who're you?" A man with striped hat and green haori tipped his head to one side, looking at him from head to toe.

"This is Ichigo Kurosaki, Urahara." Shinji grinned from behind Ichigo. "We want to ask for help, or rather, request."

Ichigo eyed the man for a while. _So this was the famous 12__th__ Division Captain who was framed by Aizen. _He had heard of Urahara's many achievements in Soul Society back during the man's Taichou days. But all of those were buried and erased in the face of his crimes. That's the kind of rule Seireitei had. Even the Vizards were thrown away like rags once Central 46 thought of them as useless. _No wonder the Vizards hated the Shinigamis so much… No wonder they all swore to get revenge against the Shinigamis who abandoned them when they were in need. _

Ichigo, even now, could still feel his heart ache from Shinji's stories. The Vizards had comrades and friends in Soul Society too. But all of those people abandoned them just to preserve their honor and pride. No one even bothered to look for them, or to check if they survived in a world so different from their own.

It had been sixteen days since he came to Karakura, sixteen days of sleeping with the Vizards and training with them, sixteen days of aching body and mind, and also heart, sixteen days of preventing himself form running away from Shinji's sadistic tendencies, and sixteen days of nothing but torture. And yet, he never felt alone in those sixteen days that he stayed with Shinji and the others, not even for a second. His instincts told him that he was just like them, and that he belonged with them. _And somehow, that helped him deal with the pain of losing Juushirou. _And he was sure that Seireitei was searching for him now, not leaving anything unturned. Shinji warned him not to show himself to everyone first, and that's where Urahara comes in.

The two of them had been ushered by the older blonde in the little shop's living room and was served tea by a little girl by the name of Ururu. Shinji drank his cup in one go while Ichigo took his time sipping it. Urahara was looking at him curiously and he couldn't help but feel uncomfortable under the man's gaze. He looked up and glared at the man, though he knew he was being impolite, especially for someone asking for help.

Suddenly, Urahara snapped his fan shut and spoke. "Kurosaki-kun, do you know who your biological father is?" Ichigo was taken aback at that question. He didn't think Urahara would ask something like that.

He stared at Urahara for a while, thinking of the answer. After some minutes of silence, he finally talked. "…Goat-face, I think. I… don't remember his real name."

Urahara smiled, eyes gleaming under the hat. "Isshin Kurosaki." The name made Ichigo stiffen. The name was so familiar it made his breath hitch just at the sound of it.

"It's great and all for you to have a little memory of your life." Shinji spoke from beside the teen, sensing his tense aura. "But you know that's not normal, right?"

"Maybe it's because of the fact that Ichigo wasn't born human. He was half Shinigami and half Hollow, his father once the taichou of the 10th Squad and his mother was his father's fukutaichou at the time, though he lived his life as human with a dormant power that only awakened when he was already in Soul Society."

By now, Shinji had already told him that a person named Masaki was indeed one of them, also a Vizard that Aizen had experimented on, thrown together a century ago into the living world. She was a very beautiful woman that Shinji liked to flirt with, though she had always kindly refused his advances. …_Because by that time, she already loved her taichou. _

Some seventy years ago, Masaki suddenly left them with the word that she wanted to live as a human, together with the man she loved. It was then that they learned the 10th Squad Taichou had been looking for her for over seventy years now, traveling in the living world when he had the time. And after that, the two met and finally had some sappy moments that Shinji didn't care to elaborate. And thus, the change in her mind. The 10th Squad Taichou who was about to be transferred as a Royal Guard left his title as a taichou and lived in a gigai, thus sealing both of their powers. But it didn't matter. The two had been happy since then. At least until the tragedy that ended her life sixteen years ago happened.

Shinji knowing something about his parents, Ichigo could understand. The guy had been his mother's comrade in exile after all. But this man, he couldn't. His eyes narrowed. "Why do you know me? And why do you know my parents?" Urahara blinked, but before he could answer, someone already did.

"Because Urahara is my friend, Ichigo." A voice so foreign and yet so nostalgic echoed throughout the whole room and they all turned toward the new-comer.

Urahara beamed. "I thought you'd never come." Shinji glared at him and he added, "I knew there was something familiar with Ichigo when I first saw him, and I immediately called Isshin to come here and take a look."

Isshin sighed. "I would've strangled you to death if it was a false alarm." His eyes softened when they settled on Ichigo's. "But even from the gate I already knew that the person inside this room is my son."

Ichigo's eyes widened when he gazed at his father. His father, whom he only remembered as the man who cried in anguish and sorrow as he tried to bring his dying son back to life. The person he didn't even know the name of, at least until Urahara said it. _For this person to be here… _Several emotions immediately gripped his heart as he gazed at the man whom he once called father –happiness, nervousness, and, mainly, longing. "G-Goat-face..?"

Isshin's eyes watered and he pouted before he began wailing over a picture that he pulled out of his pocket. "MASAKIIII! EVEN IN DEATH, ICHIGO IS BEING MEAAAAANNNNN TO MEEEEEEE! HE DOESN'T EVEN REMEMBER MY NAMEEEE!"

"Shut up, Goat-face!" Ichigo exclaimed in his embarrassment, but it only made Isshin wail louder. He chose to ignore his father then and turn to Urahara. "I want to go back to Soul Society and clear my name, and also rescue a friend of mine."

"Karin is there too right now, you know." Isshin immediately went back to his serious demeanor. All sort of longing aside, Ichigo shuddered at the thought that this deranged man was really his biological father.

"Karin, who's that?" He asked, arching an eyebrow. Urahara and Isshin glanced at one another before Isshin broke out into a wail again.

"MASAKIIII! ICHIGO IS BEING MEAAAAAN EVEN TO HIS SISTEEEERSSSSS!"

"So you mean she's dead too?" Ichigo couldn't help but feel loneliness even though he almost had no memory of his younger sisters.

"No, idiot." Urahara said before both Isshin and Urahara took turns in telling Ichigo of the incidents in the past few months. How Rukia and Karin met, how Rukia gave Karin her powers and how they fought off Hollows together, how their friendship grew over those months, and how over half a month ago, Karin was almost killed for trying to fight the ones who were sent to capture Rukia.

"Byakuya and Renji." Ichigo voiced. He suddenly felt himself torn. He didn't care about Byakuya but he cared about Renji. And he knew how the man felt about Rukia's power being transferred to a human. But Karin was his sister, and even though he couldn't remember her, he could still feel some affection for her.

"Karin might be five years younger than you, but she's basically twenty years old now so she appears older. She appears at least two years older than you now. And I'm sure that you will still appear as someone in your early twenties even by the time she's already too old to even walk." Isshin voiced. "Aging in Soul Society is much, much slower than in the real world. People age fast here, except of course if you're already a soul like Urahara and the Vizards, and me. Our aging is the same as if we're still in Soul Society." Ichigo nodded at the brief explanation, wondering how he would face his sister if he ever saw her – looking older than her brother who was supposed to be five years older than her.

.

.tbc.

.

**Ren-sama's Note:**

**I'd love to hear from you. Please? And please don't kill me for killing Juushirou, but just as Shinji said, maybe it's part of someone else's bigger plan? Again, thank you for your continuous support… because I really, really love hearing from you, guys. ˆoˆ**


	11. Chapter 11

**Ren-sama's Note:**

**Everyone, I truly appreciate your support and reviews! OTL I'm truly sorry for killing Juushirou in this fict, too… But believe me, his death is necessary. And you also don't have to compare this fict to the real anime/manga. There might be scenes that can also be found in the anime/manga (since I'm following the flow of the real one, for now at least) and there are scenes that are of my own creation. ˆoˆ**

**.**

**Chapter 11**

Isshin and the others told the orange-haired teen about the Hollowfication process that Karin endured just to go and save Rukia. It seemed her power was not as immense as Ichigo's so they had no choice but to wake up her Hollow forcefully even though she was still a living human. It's also the reason why she couldn't fully control it. No, scratch that. At this minute, she probably still didn't even know she had one. She was now making chaos in Seireitei as they spoke.

Shinji grinned at the prospect of training another Vizard. Ichigo shuddered when he saw the expression on the other man's face. He shuddered when he remembered the hell that he went through in that warehouse for the last sixteen days. _That's a memory that would forever be etched in his mind, not in fondness but in an almost traumatic way._

Without any word, Isshin hugged him and Ichigo was so surprised that his body immediately acted on reflex and kicked the older man on the wall. He gulped when the wall cracked behind his father. "Ah, Goat-face? Sorry, I was just–"

His words were interrupted when a kick landed on his face and Isshin laughed proudly. "Hah! That's what you get for turning your guard down!" Ichigo stood up menacingly and Shinji's grin became wider. He and the rest of the Vizards were quite amazed of Ichigo's reiatsu and also his prowess. The boy was, in a way, an idiot prodigy. And thus, the first meeting of father and son for over sixteen years turned into a messy brawl of insults and physical fight.

Afterwards, Isshin made Ichigo tell them what happened to him and why he was in the world of the living. And thus, he told them of his life in Rukongai, not in details of course. Everything was just like a report, utterly boring and brief. But his eyes were the ones that betrayed him. His eyes held the anguish, the sorrow, the hatred, the pain, the guilt, and every other emotion that he now felt.

And Isshin saw through him. "So you're Ukitake's adopted son. He's a very good teacher, you know. And a very kind one." Ichigo nodded. "Ukitake was the one who showed me the hang of being a Taichou, the one who guided many of us young Taichous. Whoever killed him surely has a dark reason for doing so."

Ichigo looked up at his father. "What do you mean?"

"I mean, Ukitake might have discovered something which he mustn't know of. Or at least, he might be at a wrong place at the wrong time." Isshin mused loudly.

"We also think that way." Shinji voiced. "Ukitake-taichou is not someone who will make other Shinigamis hold a grudge against him. And thus, the only reason for his death was those you've just said. Something's happening in Seireitei right now and I feel that it's something big."

"Make sure to take care of yourself there, Ichigo." Isshin said as he ruffled his son's hair, much to Ichigo's surprise and quiet embarrassment – though not in a negative way. "And make sure to take care of Karin too, if you have time."

"Of course, Oyaji." He smiled a tad, still a little unused to calling someone he just saw a while ago 'father'.

"And Ichigo," Shinji called. "Make sure to remember everything that we've told you. You better not get caught by Seireitei's dogs until the culprit shows himself." The orange-haired teen looked at the blonde and nodded.

Isshin looked at his son once more. If the higher ups could be convinced that Ichigo was indeed responsible for the deaths of two Taichous, it only meant that his son was that powerful now. _To be able to have the power to handle two Taichous at the same time... _Though he knew that Ichigo never did it, the mere fact that others thought so was enough of a proof that Ichigo was someone who could actually go against two Taichous simultaneously.

"Shall we go then, underground?" Urahara asked as he yawned.

**. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .**

He could feel the intensity of the fight even from afar. It seemed his sister didn't know how to suppress her reiatsu yet, so much like him when he was younger. But for Karin to be this strong in only two months of training was really amazing. Though he didn't know it was actually Karin's reiatsu, for he had never felt her reiatsu before, he immediately knew it was hers because it was a reiatsu he couldn't recognize. And it was fighting against Renji. And from Renji's reiatsu that felt so utterly anguished and angered, he knew it was the human who made Rukia go through all this. And thus, his sister. _His sister whom he didn't even know the face of. And Karin probably wouldn't even recognize him._

He came from the senkai gate, not needing any guide because he already had the Hell Butterfly that Kenpachi gave him that night. The gate had just closed behind him and the intense air filled with reiatsu and spirit particles was a welcoming change from the world that almost had none of it, except when he was inside the Vizards' hideout.

"_Remember not to let anyone know you're there, Ichigo." _Shinji's voice echoed in his mind as he descended onto soft earth quietly. At first, he wanted to tell his close friends that he was back, to at least make them less worried. But Shinji insisted that he did not, saying that he didn't know who the culprit was, making it just about any high ranking member of Gotei 13, and it was dangerous to involve others too. And thus, he entered Seireitei quietly.

He saw that Jidanbou wasn't at the gate and knew that the huge guy must've been defeated. He was able to enter without any unnecessary trouble because the barrier could recognize his reiatsu, though he chose to hide not only his reiatsu but also his entire presence.

He immediately shunpo'd towards the forest beside the Sokyouku Hill and sat on one of the branches, highly guarded and making use of his sensing skills. It was hard to feel the outsiders because of too much reiatsu in the air. There were many commotions in different parts of Seireitei and he knew they were still fighting even now.

His heart dropped when he felt Renji's reiatsu disappeared. He immediately shook his head and tried to feel it harder. _And there it was. _The redhead's reiatsu was so weak but it was there, _he's alive_. He sighed in relief before he shunpo'd to the part of the forest where there would be no one to see him. He looked at the trees and thick bushes and knew that he had never been in this area before in the entire two months and some days that he was in Seireitei.

He wandered around for some minutes before he found a cave that highly resembled Urahara's basement. He remembered how he stared at Urahara when the latter said they would go underground and the man laughed at him. _That hat and clogs was annoying._

He looked around and found out that indeed, it was the same structure as Urahara's basement. Well, the guy was the previous 12th Division Taichou so he might have been here before. Ichigo surveyed the area for any reiatsu, a trace of it or anything like that, but there's nothing to feel. It seemed the cave had not been occupied for some years now, maybe even decades. He immediately saw a small hot spring from the far side and let himself relax in the warm water.

'_**Never let your guard down, King.' **_Shiro said from inside his mind before the Hollow materialized in front of him. Ichigo was still not used to seeing Shiro out so it made his eyes widen for a moment. It was like looking in the mirror, though monochrome for Shiro was pure white and black in color.

Zangetsu also materialized but he didn't join in the bath. "I think that that hot spring is made to treat injuries."

Ichigo nodded. "Yeah, I can feel my body relaxing. It's much too nice, this feeling."

"Hah! You know what, King?" Shiro said as he made himself comfortable in the water. "We can make this place our own palace, and no one would dare disturb us here. Those Shinigamis would know that–"

"Idiot, we're here to clear my name, not to conquer a cave." He yawned as he felt himself drifting into slumber.

"Tch." He barely heard Shiro's dissent but he knew that it was the Hollow's own way of saying 'You're right.'

He was much powered up when he next woke up and he knew he was in the hot spring for more than an hour because his fingers and toes were pale and the skin looked like that of an old man's skin because it was soaked in the water for much too long.

Both Shiro and Zangetsu were not in their materialized form anymore too. After he dressed up, he wore the black Shihakusho that Shinigami normally wore, he decided to explore more of the cave. It was so huge, quiet, and calm. And he could hardly feel the reiatsu of other Shinigamis from the outside. Thus, it made this cave both a good hideout and a bad one. If it could block the reiatsus coming from the outside, it also meant that no one outside would know that he was here. Thus, the good reason. But it also meant that he would hardly know if someone was near or was about to enter, and it would be too late to hide if they entered the cave. Thus, the bad one.

'_Who are you?' _Ichigo stopped in his tracks when he heard the voice. At first he thought it came from his head, but then the voice was different. It wasn't Zangetsu's or even Shiro's.

"Is there someone here?" He voiced quietly, not really wanting anyone to know that he was there. No one answered though.

"_Did you two hear that voice?" _He asked his head instead.

'_**Voice?' **_Shiro answered. _**'I didn't hear anything, King.'**_

"Oh." He shook his head. He must have been imagining things.

And without any warning, Zangetsu materialized in front of Ichigo, sword pointing at the teen.

'_**Oy, Ichigo. I think you pissed Zangetsu somehow. He looks pretty serious to me.' **_Shiro said from inside Ichigo's head. Ichigo stared at Zangetsu's materialized form for a while before he found his voice.

"Zangetsu-ojii-san?" He called. "Is there something wrong?"

"Fight me, Ichigo." He voiced solemnly. Of course, Zangetsu was not one of the calmest zanpakutou alive if he would shout out his warning. And thus, without any word, Ichigo was forced to block a Getsuga Tenshou from Zangetsu's sword.

"Zangetsu!" Ichigo shouted from beyond the little rocks and dusts that erupted because of the attack. "What's wrong with you?"

"Fight me." Zangetsu simply said before he attacked again. Zangetsu was swift and his attacks were powerful, but Ichigo had not trained with him for nothing. He immediately attacked and blurted out the move before he could even think about it.

"Getsuga Tenshou!" He made a swift slicing motion, but much to his surprise and shock, nothing happened.

'_**I think you're in a big problem there, King.' **_Shiro voiced inside his head. The Hollow was also thoughtful as to why Zangetsu suddenly acted so strangely. They were having a conversation in Ichigo's inner world when Zangetsu suddenly stopped and disappeared, and after that was the voice that Ichigo said he heard. _Could they be connected?_

**. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . **

"She goes by the name of Karin Kurosaki and we currently don't have any lead on her whereabouts. Her friends are also making as much trouble as possible and we still don't know what their motives are. The whole 11th Squad was annihilated and there are also seated officers from other Divisions resting in Unohana-taichou's barracks. Aside form that, Abarai-fukutaichou has been defeated and is now inside the prison, as ordered by Kuchiki-taichou." Rangiku reported.

Toshirou sighed. "Do you think it has something to do with Ukitake-taichou's son?"

"Ichigo?" Rangiku asked. "Why?"

"Kurosaki vanished in his cell seventeen days ago and we still haven't found him. There are reports saying that he escaped into the living world. And then after ten days that he was gone, these ryokas invaded Seireitei and are causing us so much trouble since then. Not to mention that their leader's surname and Kurosaki's are the same."

"It might just be a coincident, Taichou." Rangiku answered solemnly. "I… I don't believe that Ichigo killed Ukitake-taichou, Taichou." Toshirou looked up at her. "I mean, sure Ichigo has the power and the strength, but that doesn't mean he's the only one who could've done that. And he's not the type to do something so horrible. I've only known him for a short time but I know that Ichigo is not someone who will harm his Chichi just to keep his secret."

"Matsumoto," Toshirou could feel his headache again. "Leave that ordeal to the ones who need to take care of it. What we need to deal with right now is the fact that these ryokas seem to have a purpose. We need to find out what it is."

"Well, Ikkaku said that the girl named Karin Kurosaki asked him where the prisoner named Rukia Kuchiki was being imprisoned in. So… it might be their goal."

Toshirou could suddenly feel his veins of annoyance showing. "Matsumoto, if you know that much from the start… why didn't you just tell me earlier?"

Rangiku made a cute face. "But Taichou, it's fun to make you think!"

"Matsumoto!" He shouted just before Rangiku shunpo'd away from the office. He sighed before he decided to take a walk. His office was suffocating. And besides, it's not as if he had to do anything in the office anyway, not when there were so much reiatsus fighting everywhere.

He shunpo'd towards the Sokyouku Hill just for the sake of it and his eyes widened at what he saw. The woman, she seemed in her twenties, wore a black Shihakusho and she had a long sword with spikes as edge, like a saw. Her sword was similar to Renji's when in Shikai but only with more teeth, and small ones.

She turned to him and Toshirou couldn't help but feel that her reiatsu was somehow similar to Ichigo's, though a lot weaker than the orange-haired male's. "Are you a Taichou?" She asked. Her dark eyes gleamed in determination and resolve as she pointed her long sword in his direction. She had a shoulder-length straight raven hair that gleamed under the sun as she moved into position. Her eyes were sharp but they were nevertheless charming. Toshirou's left eye twitched when he thought of that.

Karin knew that the person in front of her was much stronger than he looked. Even though the teen looked like an aloof and cool male, she was sure that the guy had a very astonishing air about him. _There was something about the guy that seemed to draw her in. _Not to mention that the male was handsome and strong. She sighed inwardly when she suddenly thought of her opponent like that. It wasn't everyday that she thought of someone as cool and handsome. Or rather, it might have been the first time she thought of someone else as handsome. _Not even her own father._

Toshirou sighed before he unsheathed his zanpakutou. He was glad that she immediately thought he was a taichou though. It would be a war if she asked why a little high school kid was in the place. "Souten ni Zase, Hyourinmaru."

And in another second, the surge of two clashing reiatsus that seemed to be calling out to one another could be felt throughout Seireitei.

**. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . **

Ichigo sat in a seiza in the middle of the cave. His eyes were closed and he had a very relaxed posture. His fight yesterday against Zangetsu only gave him another thing to think about, but he couldn't have that. He used kidou against Zangetsu and the man, it looked, had come to realize what he was doing and apologized. Shiro laughed at Zangetsu's strange act but Ichigo was more worried than anything.

Zangetsu assured him that he was fine now. That he just heard a voice, and before he realized it, he was already fighting Ichigo. The teen readily forgave his zanpakutou of course. And now, the three of them were thinking of how to expose the culprit that killed his chichi. It was kind of hard to do what with all the commotions going on. And on top of that, he needed to rescue Rukia too, though he would give the credit of doing that to Karin who had steeled her resolve to go here and do so.

'_**So, what do you think we should do, King?' **_Shiro asked. He hated thinking because he only lived based from instinct. _**'You know that we can't just go around the place because everyone is on high alert.'**_

'_Maybe that's what we need.' _Zangetsu voiced. _'A distraction, for everyone's eyes to be on something else.'_

Ichigo smiled. Zangetsu was a genius. _"I think that might actually work, though what shall we do?"_

'_**Shall we sneak to the place where your chichi was killed and investigate the reiatsus there?' **_Shiro suggested.

'_That won't work, Shiro.' _Zangetsu countered. _'By now, there will be so many reiatsu registers in that place because of the commotion. And we won't know who among them is the real culprit and who just happened to fight in the place.'_

'_**I have something, a plan.' **_Shiro grinned and Ichigo was sure it wouldn't be too good. _**'You just come out and let them chase after you. I'm sure the culprit will be thrilled to see you right now.' **_The last statement had a hint of sarcasm in it.

Ichigo wanted to think that it made sense, though it was very dangerous. And before the culprit could find him, the rest of the Gotei 13 would do too. He sighed. Planning about what he should do was way harder than the harsh training from Shinji and the others that he endured while whining.

'_**I hate thinking! Why can't we just kill them all!?' **_Shiro suggested this time. And Ichigo was sure it was not a mere joke anymore. That's how far Shiro would go just to not think.

"_You don't have to think about a plan, you know." _Ichigo said as he too felt that it was quite tiring to think of a plan. No wonder it was hard to be a Taichou. Juushirou always appeared so composed as he commanded his officers on what they should do everyday, and he didn't think that it was this hard when no one was advising you. _Wait, advising?_

'_**You have a person in mind?' **_Shiro asked.

'_I don't think it's wise to seek advice from just anyone.' _Zangetsu voiced. _'You still don't know who you can trust, Ichigo. I believe that the culprit will show himself sooner or later so we just have to wait a little more.' _The two others agreed, one glad that he didn't have to think, and one frustrated that he thought of nothing.

The next day, Ichigo came out of the cave and was surprised that the reiatsu belonging to his sister was fighting on par with Kenpachi. In another area, a ryoka lost to Shunsui and it seemed to distract Karin a lot. The ryoka must be important to her. After some intense reiatsu battle, both Karin and Kenpachi lost their consciousness it seemed, because both of their reiatsus plummeted to the ground one after the other. As usual, he could feel the happiness in Kenpachi's reiatsu even though he lost consciousness in the end.

Ichigo neared the edge of the forest and heard some unseated officers talking to one another, not even realizing that there was already another presence following them.

"I heard Hitsugaya-taichou lost! And Zaraki-taichou's reiatsu just disappeared!" One of them said in a fury. "Damn those ryokas! If I saw one of them, I'd surely–"

"Lose too." His companion added. The other one growled. "If the Taichous can't win, then there's no way unseated officers like us can win, you know."

"Hey, do you know the rumors?" The third Shinigami said. "It seems those ryokas actually went here to rescue the criminal Rukia Kuchiki."

"Speaking of Rukia Kuchiki, she'll be executed in about five days, right?" The second Shinigami asked and the other two nodded. "I heard Kuchiki-taichou made sure she'll be executed."

"He's as cruel and heartless as always." They all agreed as they continued walking, shivering just at the thought of the cold Taichou.

Ichigo didn't follow them anymore. He wanted to punch that bastard Byakuya on the face for making Rukia's life so difficult, and then when she did something like this, he would just abandon her and even try to make sure she's killed? _That bastard needed some ass-kicking._

'_Let your sister do that, Ichigo.' _Zangetsu said. The teen was about to argue because he personally knew how powerful and talented the Kuchiki heir but Zangetsu interjected immediately. _'Have fate in her ability and power, Ichigo. She is not alone in her fight. I'm sure she can defeat Byakuya on her own and save Rukia. The one thing you need to do is find the culprit that might make everything harder for them.'_

"I know." He voiced quietly.

Ichigo went back to the cave again and thought. Even though it pained him, he tried to think about the night that both Aizen and Juushirou died. When he lashed out at Aizen, he felt that both their reiatsus surged. And then he left the place with Aizen unharmed and went home. His father came out after that and then he was found dead. _Was it Gin who did it then? _It's a possibility. Gin was the sole person who knew Ichigo didn't do anything to Aizen and that he left immediately after that. _Could Gin be the one who killed both his chichi and Aizen in one go? _But Gin, according to Rangiku, was way younger than both Aizen and Juushirou. There was no way he was far stronger than those two combined. _Something was definitely missing…_

'_**Maybe that Gin person is the one you need to confront.' **_Shiro suggested again after a while. _**'Maybe he's the one who holds the answer to your questions, Ichigo.'**_

'_I think I agree with Shiro, though be careful, Ichigo. If Gin is indeed the one who killed two powerful Taichous in one go, then you might be in trouble.' _Zangetsu added.

"_There's also the possibility that Gin has nothing to do with it." _He answered to the both of them. _"Remember that they reported there's no sign of any reiatsu other than Chichi's, mine, and Aizen's. Even if Ichimaru is strong, there's no way he won't release at least a little reiatsu if he were to fight two Taichous at once. And there's something more that's bothering me." _He sighed. _"Chichi's reiatsu wasn't able to fully enter a battle mode. He died with only using a little reiatsu. It seemed he was shocked at something… maybe…"_

'_**Maybe your father, your real father I mean, is right.' **_Shiro said. _**'Maybe your chichi did see something he shouldn't have. Something that shocked him thoroughly… And in his shock, the enemy was immediately able to kill him.'**_

Ichigo grinned, though not the usual warm grin, but a calm and cool one. And it was not because of the topic about his chichi either. "And I thought you hate thinking, Shiro." Shiro snorted before he grinned too.

'_Let's wait for a little while.' _Zangetsu voiced.

The orange-haired teen went out of the cave after some hours of bathing. And he was glad that he did when a woman with long violet hair ponytailed at the back and a woman with short raven hair arrived and entered the cave. _The ryokas…_

Ichigo bit his lower lip. He was sure they would be able to sense his reiatsu in there. But hours passed and still not one of the two came out. Ichigo sighed as he left the place and went to the edge of the forested area again.

It was harder to see the forest at night but his good reflex prevented him from ever tripping on a branch or any uneven ground. The moon hung in the sky and it shed a dim light that helped the teen make out his surroundings.

It seemed Mayuri Kurotsuchi just lost against a ryoka whose reiatsu felt neither Shinigami nor simply human. It was new to Ichigo and he couldn't register what kind of reiatsu it was.

"It's a Quincy's." A voice from behind him made Ichigo jump. He narrowed his eyes on the woman that disappeared into the cave earlier. "I felt your reiatsu all over the cave, boy. You might be used to making it almost absent but you can't deceive me."

"You're one of the ryokas." Ichigo said, still eyeing the woman. The woman looked powerful, not to mention that she had a very cunning air around her.

"I'm Yoruichi Shihouin." She grinned. "You won't tell our location to anyone, will you?" Ichigo's eyebrows creased at the mention of the name of one of the four noble houses. _So this important-looking person was a noble too, huh._

"I don't have any intention of joining your little chaos-making, though I will not let anyone know as long as you don't tell a soul about me too, not even the ryoka with you." He answered and Yoruichi squinted her eyes.

"You somehow look familiar." She mused aloud.

"…Ichigo Kurosaki, ring any bells?" He held back the urge to smirk or even grin when the woman's normally playful feature turned shocked and wide-eyed. She blinked several times before she grinned.

"I see." She nodded. "Wanna visit your younger sister? She's a beauty too, you know."

He shook his head. "No, you don't have to tell her about me. I'm here for a different reason and I don't want her involved, not that I can make her not involved though. Is she resting right now?"

"Yes, she's been fighting Ugetsu ever since earlier." She said, and seeing the confused look on Ichigo's facxe, added, "Ugetsu is her zanpakutou."

"So you're making her achieve Bankai in just three days." It's not a question and Yoruichi grinned again.

"You're quite knowledgeable, Ichigo." She said. "I won't ask why you're here. I won't tell her too. But you better make sure not to go against her. She's pretty powerful."

"I'll try to remember that." He nodded, though there was a hint of playfulness in his tone.

"But I'm surprised you remember." Yoruichi looked thoughtful.

"I don't." Ichigo shook his head. "Goat-face told me about her. Though I know I have a sister, I don't know who she is, not her name, not her face and certainly not her reiatsu." She looked like she wanted to ask more but decided against it. She left him after a while and he used that time to take the most needed slumber.

The sun was already up in the sky when he woke up. His back ached a little because of his sleeping position. He was sitting on the ground while leaning on the trunk of a huge tree and his head was hanging. He stood up and yawned.

"How's your sleep, Ichigo?" He sharply turned when he heard the voice, but then he relaxed when he recognized it.

"Yoruichi." He called and the woman jumped from the branch that she was perched on and stood in front of him. He could see that her smile was strained. "Is there something wrong?"

She sighed. "I believe in Karin. I really do. That's the only reason why I let her do that training. But I feel that–"

"If the mentor lost faith in the student, then the student will feel bad even if she succeeds." Ichigo said as he swung his huge sword over his shoulder. He already knew what Yoruichi was talking about. Shinji never lost hope in him until the last second and he was grateful for that. Because Shinji believed that he could do it, he really made sure to do it. "You have to believe in Karin."

She smiled, not her usual cunning smile but a kind one. "Of course, who said I don't believe in her?" The corner of his lips twitched into a smile, though that's the best smile he could do. Then Yoruichi's expression became serious once more and Ichigo's scowl returned just at the prospect of receiving a bad news. "Ichigo, Rukia's execution is tomorrow morning. I know it's rude of me to ask for your help to rescue her but…"

"Rukia is my friend." He answered. "I want to help in her rescue too. And I will, as long as the thing I need to do doesn't get in the way."

Yoruichi looked expectantly at him. Ichigo sighed. He knew that Yoruichi trusted him enough to ask for his help and they might actually help in finding the culprit. He knew it might be considered being weak because he was relying on someone, but he needed information. _And these outsiders might have it. _"Two Taichous were killed the day after Rukia arrived here. If you might know something, please tell me. I need to know who the culprit is."

"You mean Aizen-taichou and Ukitake-taichou." She said, and Ichigo was starting to have the feeling that Yoruichi was not just a normal noble. "They were killed and were both pinned on the wall of a building just opposite each other and everyone believed that it was Ukitake-taichou's son who killed him." Yoruichi looked at Ichigo's somewhat hard and cold gaze, and she immediately connected the bits and pieces. "You're Ukitake-taichou's son."

Ichigo's intense gaze didn't lessen. "Yes. I want to clear my name and mourn Chichi properly. But before I can do that, I have to know who the culprit is."

"You want to avenge him." Yoruichi could see clearly the deep anguish and hatred intricately intermingling in Ichigo's chocolate eyes. They were dark and shadowy, answering Yoruichi's question without uttering a word. The woman sighed. "I can't tell you to stop because it's not my place. But revenge won't do you any good, Ichigo. It won't make you feel better."

"It will." He answered immediately. "I will make sure that it will." And then his expression changed. "But Goat-face also told me to take care of Karin so I will somehow lend a hand tomorrow, especially since all of the Taichous, even the soutaichou, will be there." She seemed satisfied, if only a little, and she left him after a while to see how Karin was doing.

'_**So you finally admitted that you will avenge your chichi.' **_Shiro said inside his head. _**'You always say that you want to clear your name and rescue Rukia, and capture the culprit that killed your chichi. But the one thing you want to do the most is to kill the Shinigami who did it.' **_Ichigo closed his eyes as his Hollow continued to rant on.

'_Ichigo, that woman is right. There is no satisfaction in revenge.' _Zangetsu said.

'_**Don't be a killjoy, Zangetsu!' **_Shiro exclaimed. _**'You know the thirst for blood that Ichigo feels cannot be quenched until he killed that criminal! And besides, it'll be good to finally enjoy killing someone.'**_

"Don't be an idiot, Shiro." Ichigo answered, eyes still closed. "There's no way I can clear my name if I kill the person who did it. If I kill him, there's no way he can tell everyone else that it wasn't me but him who was the culprit."

'_And don't assume that he's male, Ichigo. It might lead you to false evidence and conclusion.' _Zangetsu said. Shiro snickered and Ichigo sighed again.

'_**Anyway, are you sure you would want to go help free that girl from execution tomorrow? Everyone will be there, you know.' **_Shiro said after a while. _**'Don't think that you can easily escape if you appear in front of them, especially in front of that old man Soutaichou. You won't get your revenge if you're caught, right?'**_

"Let's just see what will happen." He finally answered after some thoughts.

He waited in the outskirt of the forest the whole day and once again tried to hear some news from the Shinigamis passing by. He heard many things from them – from the news of the ryokas' capture, except Karin Kurosaki, to the news of Rukia's execution tomorrow morning. He then thought of Byakuya and how the noble must be feeling.

"_He must be happy now, for doing his best to dig a hole to bury Rukia in." _He thought as he gritted his teeth hard in bitterness. He looked at the setting sun, not even bothering to think that it was beautiful now.

'_Ichigo.' _Zangetsu voiced. The zanpakutou didn't say it but the teen knew that the sword was expressing his concern for him.

'_**Shall we greet him tomorrow, King? Since he gave you so much heartache?' **_Shiro suggested with a grin.

"_What do you mean heartache? Don't you mean headache?" _The teen scowled at his Hollow's diction. It was strange even to his ears.

And just as he was about to voice his comment out loud for the sake of it, he immediately stopped when he sensed the all too familiar reiatsu in the air not too far away from him. Ichigo hid himself in one of the tree branches and made sure that his reiatsu couldn't be felt by anyone.

'_**Speaking of the devil.' **_Shiro voiced inside his mind and Ichigo thought how literally the pun was. They saw Byakuya taking a stroll. _**'His conscience must be killing him.'**_

"_If he even has something like that." _Ichigo thought. He watched as the noble walked alone, seemingly deep in thought if he couldn't even feel Ichigo's barely concealed urge to cut him for doing something so horrible to his own sister.

And yet, the moment he saw Byakuya's eyes, Ichigo's mind stopped working. Even if it was for a second, he clearly saw it. _He saw the tears that stained the noble's cold cheeks. _Byakuya continued on his way as if nothing happened, wiping his cheeks so subtly. The teen blinked several times before he was able to come up with a conclusion. _Byakuya was shedding tears… for Rukia? _He continued to stand on one of the trees' branches, too stunned to even walk away.

'_**It seems he has it after all, that conscience thing.' **_Shiro voiced quietly, and Ichigo couldn't help but agree. He sighed as he wondered how Byakuya must be feeling right now. And he knew that he really has to stop the execution tomorrow. _At all cost._

Night came too quickly and he couldn't help but feel nervous regarding tomorrow. Not the kind of nervousness that made his knees weak. But the kind of nervousness that came from anticipation. He wanted to rescue Rukia and find his chichi's killer soon. _And after that… And after that, maybe he'd try living… in Rukongai maybe… _Maybe he'd return to his old house, his house that was full of Kaien and Juushirou's memories that it would haunt him in his sleep every night. He had not mourned his chichi's death yet. He was sure to break after all this was over. He just hoped there was someone who would try to at least free him from the chains of anguish and pain that had bound his very being.

He had always known that if he wanted to cherish someone, he had to be someone capable of protecting that person. He had always known the words and yet he'd somehow always overlooked their meaning. _Right now, he'd make sure not to cherish anyone like that again. Never again would he cherish someone so deeply…_

He looked up at the moon that night and swore it.

And morning came all too quickly.

.

.tbc.

.

**Ren-sama's Note:**

**Sorry for that little OOC. ****ˆoˆ**

**I once again apologize for the lack of ByaIchi goodness. These parts are necessary for my plans… So please don't think I'm going nowhere with this. But don't you worry. I promise to give you something nice in the next chapter (though it's up to you on how to take that)! Please Review? ˆoˆ**


	12. Chapter 12

**Ren-sama's Notes:**

**Hi, everyone! Happy Valentine's Day (though a bit late)! And as usual, I give you my thanks for the wonderful reviews/comments that I received for the last 11 chapters! I'm grateful for everyone who favorite my fict! It makes me glad that I wrote this fict and keeps on writing it!**

**P.S. I'm truly sorry to those who grieved on Juushirou's death. I'm sorry but he won't be back anymore. And to those that have questions – as usual, I will not be able to answer them because it will spoil the story. (And don't worry, ByaIchi goodness will start from this chapter on.) ˆoˆ**

**.**

**Chapter 12**

Rukia looked down on the ground that was slowly getting farther and farther as she was slowly lifted up in the air, bound in hands and feet. The Sokyouku Hill was such a grand place to meet her end. The Shinigamis released the Sokyouku, a spear-like zanpakutou with the power of a thousand zanpakutous, and it was slowly engulfed in flames.

She knew that the moment that flame touched her, she would be instantly incinerated. _No, _she would be incinerated even if the flame didn't touch her just as long as it neared her for two or three feet.

She closed her eyes. She had no regret, or so she kept telling herself. Her nii-sama didn't even look at her. He didn't even recognize her presence. She was just a humiliation in the Clan now. There was no way her nii-sama would fight for her. _He was even the first one who voted for her execution._

And as the phoenix eerily moved back for a momentum, she finally realized how scared she was. She was afraid to die. And tears run down her cheeks as she closed her eyes, readying herself for the impact and the promised death. The phoenix stopped from moving backwards and started to move forward with much swiftness even though it was huge. And she waited.

But the impact never came.

When she opened her eyes again, she saw that Karin had managed to somehow appear in front of her and the Sokyouku, stopping the phoenix just in time for it to not set Rukia ablaze.

"Oy, Rukia! Are you alright there?" She grinned.

"Idiot!" Rukia exclaimed.

Down below them, everyone was looking up, shocked that someone had managed to stop the zanpakutou that equaled to a thousand zanpakutou in strength. Shunsui appeared together with Sentarou and Kiyone, carrying what looked like huge sealing item, to stop the Sokyouku. Soutaichou immediately fumed in anger.

Karin immediately freed Rukia and, when she gazed down on the ground, she saw Renji running towards them. She immediately threw Rukia on Renji and the petite noble screamed as she was thrown unceremoniously in the air.

"IDIOT! WHAT IF I WASN'T ABLE TO CATCH HER!?" Renji yelled as he caught Rukia with his two arms. Karin merely smirked at that. She was about to jump down when the Sokyouku got in the way. Her eyes narrowed as she looked at it.

Down below, Shunsui was already about to seal the Sokyouku when the soutaichou got in the way. He sighed in disappointment as he looked at the Soutaichou's face. _Sealing the Sokyouku was supposed to be his parting gift with Juushirou, to make sure that the man's subordinate wasn't executed…_

Soi Fon immediately ordered every fukutaichou present to chase after Renji and Rukia, but all of them were intercepted by Karin quite easily while still trying to get away from the Sokyouku. Soi Fon gritted her teeth in anger. "Bitch." And she shunpo'd towards her, but was kicked off the cliff by none other than Yoruichi.

Ichigo watched from the sidelines as everyone took their own opponent and Shunsui ran away together with his fukutaichou. Soutaichou followed him immediately. Now, Renji could get away–

_And of course, Byakuya had to get in the way._

Byakuya immediately saw that no one was chasing after Renji and Rukia, and he immediately shunpo'd towards them only to be stopped by none other than Ichigo Kurosaki.

Ichigo watched as Byakuya's eyes was suddenly filled with silent fury. And he was sure it had nothing to do with Rukia's execution. "And you have the audacity to show yourself here again after killing sensei, Rukongai dog." His voice was by far the coldest Ichigo had heard him say.

Ichigo couldn't help it, but he felt that Byakuya wished him dead too. Of course, anyone who cherished Juushirou or Aizen would feel that way, but he also felt fury. Ichigo felt that these people would just believe everything without even trying to hear his side. And with that, he felt his reiatsu darkened a little bit more.

Karin immediately released her zanpakutou's shikai. "Flow, Ugetsu!" She was thankful that her zanpakutou was a water-type zanpakutou and she at least could purify some of the flames of the Sokyouku. On the other side, she watched as an orange-haired teen intercepted Byakuya's attempt to chase after Rukia and Renji. And that meant that the orange-haired teen was on her side. And thus, Karin made sure to keep herself and the Sokyouku on the other side of the Sokyouku Hill so as not to disturb one another's fights.

"Chire, Senbonzakura." Byakuya voiced. He let the petals devour the teen, eyes narrowing when he found out that Ichigo could in fact escape from his zanpakutou's power. Well, if the boy was strong enough to kill two Taichous, then of course he's strong enough to evade Senbonzakura in Shikai form. His eyes darkened even more. Juushirou had been an important friend and sensei to him, and this boy, this adopted boy, killed him.

"Just so you know, Byakuya." Ichigo said as he saw hatred in those steel gray eyes. "It wasn't me who killed Chichi. I will never even think of laying a finger on him. And it wasn't me who killed Aizen either."

But it seemed Byakuya had not heard him. "Bankai: Senbonzakura Kageyoshi."

Ichigo gritted his teeth as the deadly cherry petals' number almost tripled and all of them became faster, way faster than even Ichigo. And he had no choice but to do it. He looked at Byakuya again. It pained him that the man wouldn't even listen to him. It pained him that Byakuya never realized how much Ichigo loved his chichi too, just as much Byakuya respected the older Taichou. And that was saying something.

He suddenly stopped moving and pointed his sword outward, holding it with both hands. Byakuya watched as the pain became more and more apparent in those chocolate eyes. _If it pained him, then he shouldn't have showed up here._

"Bankai." Byakuya stopped for a while, wide-eyed and surprised that a young boy like Ichigo would be able to achieve it. The surge in power immediately wiped away Byakuya's cherry blossom razor blades and when everything cleared, Ichigo already wore his Shihakusho differently. The right sleeve of his Shihakusho was gone and replaced by a black chain encircling his arm from his wrist to his shoulder. On his right hand was a black fingerless glove. His hair was longer, though just a little, and he looked way calmer. His huge sword became black and slim with red hilt.

And it unsettled Byakuya. "That thing is not a Bankai, Ichigo Kurosaki. Do not even speak of that word, boy. You are a century too young to be speaking of Bankai." He immediately used his hands to make the petals doubly faster as he let them chase after Ichigo, who immediately vanished from his spot and appeared just in front of Byakuya, with the tip of his sword on Byakuya's throat.

"Who says I'm a century too young?" Ichigo voiced, his tone colder and deadlier. From the proximity, Byakuya could see that the boy's chocolate eyes had lost their warmth and their brightness. They were cold and dark, and yet, so pained and anguished that Byakuya was starting to feel that maybe, just maybe, the boy was telling the truth. _Though his pride prevented him to actually listen to the words of a mere boy._

The noble was much too shocked to even move and even when Ichigo already moved back, his eyes were still wide. "I see. So your Bankai makes you faster and stronger." He recovered and now he was ready to battle again. _The real battle starts from now on. _"You'll regret that you didn't thrust that sword in my throat. Miracles don't happen twice, boy."

And they started the fight of speed, agility, and power.

Karin was panting hard and she knew that she wouldn't be able to win against this massive zanpakutou unless she used her Bankai. The heat was starting make her thirsty and if it wasn't for Ugetsu, she would've been burnt to a crisp for a while now.

She calmed herself down and breathed the hot air hard. "Bankai!" And her zanpakutou, which had turn into water during Shikai, had now turn into giant waves of water rivaling that of the Sokyouku's. Her water was swift, and it drenched and engulfed the massive zanpakutou in one go. The flames didn't waiver but it had started to weaken, and with that, she used all of her remaining power to fully extinguish the fire. Her zanpakutou sizzled slightly as it turned back into a sword. The Sokyouku lay on the ground, bare and weak.

She looked up at sky and tried to feel the air. She could feel everyone fighting all over the place. The soutaichou's immense reiatsu could be felt even from her spot.

She wiped the trickle of sweat on her forehead and watched as the other two individuals fought on the other side. Byakuya was magnificent in his vibrant display of cherry blossoms but the other one was also superb for actually being able to block it and even make Byakuya lose his calm demeanor. Karin wanted to watch for a while but she knew she had a mission here. She needed to go and be with Rukia too. And so she immediately shunpo'd away from the two fighting monsters.

Ichigo encircled Byakuya, creating a blur of himself, and unsettling the raven noble even more. And within seconds, his sword had slashed across Byakuya's torso, totally spilling noble blood on the ground.

"Who said miracles don't happen twice?" He asked. He intended the words to be said in mockery. And yet, the sight of Byakuya hurt was unsettling somehow. Even if the two of them weren't close, he still personally knew the man. _And he remembered how Byakuya looked like yesterday. The tears… _

"Arrogant boy!" Byakuya immediately made thousand cherry petals chase Ichigo, surprising the teen. Ichigo was a little bit lost in thought and some of the petals managed to graze him deeply. He didn't know how the sorrowful-looking man he saw yesterday was the same man burning in intense hatred right at this moment.

Their fight had become a fight of speed at first, but when Byakuya used Byakurai on the teen, Ichigo immediately rivaled the noble with his own kidou.

"Hado No. 33: Sokatsui!" Ichigo fired a huge amount of reiatsu in a form of blue spiritual energy.

"Bakudo No. 81: Danku." Byakuya said just as white wall appeared in front of him and Ichigo's attack was received by the wall instead.

Ichigo knew that if it was a wall like that, he had something which could destroy it. He immediately sliced Zangetsu vertically in a very swift manner. "Getsuga Tenshou!" Huge wave of reiatsu flew towards Byakuya and the noble only had the time to dodge before it hit his previous spot. The ground was cut so deeply that it made Byakuya's eyes widen again.

He knew both of them were rapidly losing reiatsu and in the end it would be a battle of will and resolve. "Senkei Senbonzakura Kageyoshi!"

Ichigo watched in surprise as he was engulfed together with Byakuya inside a huge dark dome filled with thousands of petal swords. His eyes widened when he thought what it could do to his body if those swords attacked him simultaneously while he was in a trapped place.

The teen knew that even now, he was still holding back. He could just use his full power and defeat Byakuya, but he didn't know if Rukia would ever forgive him if he ever hurt her nii-sama or kill him. And besides, he himself didn't want to hurt Byakuya even if the man irked him so much. _There was no way he would do something like that. _It hurt him that Byakuya didn't believe any word that he uttered, but he still wanted the older man to at least acknowledge his innocence. He wanted Byakuya to believe him. _He didn't kill anyone…_

"Tell me, Ichigo Kurosaki." Byakuya voiced. "Why did you decide to fight me now? Is it to intercept my chase of Rukia? Or is it to prove your innocence by defeating me? Or is it because killing two Taichous isn't enough?"

Ichigo gritted his teeth as he spat the words. "I didn't kill them. I won't repeat my words anymore. I don't care if you believe me or not. I'm here both to help in Rukia's rescue and find the real culprit who killed chichi and framed me. I want to live a quiet life, and I cannot do that unless I clear my name here." If only the noble wasn't that cold-hearted and stubborn. _If only Byakuya wasn't so blinded by his rage… _

Byakuya looked at him coldly. He could see by now that Ichigo was getting more and more hurt by his accusations and he now knew that the boy was not lying. He could see it in the way his eyes darkened every time he talked of finding the culprit. "And you think that helping a criminal and some ryokas will help you clear your name, boy?"

"I have nothing to say to you anymore. How you can speak like that about your own sister is beyond me, and I don't ever want to understand your reasoning." Ichigo said. "My sister is risking her life to help save Rukia, and I will not let any of them die."

"I believe I don't understand your ideals either. There's no point in talking now." Byakuya raised his right hand and a sword fell on his palm. He shunpo'd swiftly and the two of them clashed swords again.

Ichigo was panting now but he still had much reiatsu. He could see that Byakuya was panting hard as well, though not one of them dared stop from their swift shunpo and sword clashing. After some minutes, Ichigo found himself with just too many cuts and deep gashes, mirroring Byakuya's condition. He would have to end it now. He couldn't hang about in this place when the criminal was still at large, plotting something beyond his imagination. "Getsuga Tenshou!"

Byakuya dodged just in time, but it was already late when he realized that he wasn't Ichigo's target but his dome. It cracked, and in his fury, he immediately fired a Byakurai at the boy. Ichigo was tired and had unnecessary lost a lot of reiatsu in the fight. And thus, he wasn't able to see the Byakurai that was so quickly fired at him and it hit him on the chest, searing hot pain in his whole torso.

'_**King, do you want me to take over? You're injured badly.' **_Shiro said in an annoyed and yet concerned voice. _**'If only you took him seriously from the start, this wouldn't have happened.'**_

"_Idiot, I have no intention of ever killing him." _He answered inside his mind. _"Just watch, I'll finish this."_

The dome cracked and started to break down, revealing the blue sky outside. Both men were panting heavily and almost had no amount of reiatsu remaining.

"Byakuya, tell me, why do you want to execute Rukia so badly?" Ichigo asked as he used Zangetsu to lean on.

"A person of your stature will never understand." Byakuya appeared calm even though he was already minutes to losing his consciousness. Their fight had been too intense and he had lost a lot of reiatsu and blood, both of them did.

"Try me." Ichigo said. Byakuya looked at him, a little bit surprised at the calmness of the teen's voice. It wasn't the kind of calmness that he used often. It was the kind of calmness that connoted kindness. And before the noble knew it, he was already considering on how to answer the question.

"…It's about keeping the pride and honor of the Kuchiki Clan, Ichigo Kurosaki. The nobles are the models of everyone, the ones who should be the model in following the rules and regulations of Soul Society." Byakuya answered after a while of silence. "I am the Head of the Kuchiki Clan, and it is my duty to preserve its dignity. I will personally punish any law-breaker, no matter who he or she is, to uphold the family name. If the nobles will not follow their own rules, then no one will."

Ichigo's eyes narrowed before he shook his head, shaking off the exhaustion too. "Really, I can't understand. If the rules make my loved ones suffer, then I will personally fight the rules to make the people I love at least more at ease." Now he understood why Byakuya was crying. _It's because he chose his pride and honor, abandoning his only sister in the process… _It was such a pitiful thing to do, and yet so painful the man couldn't help but shed tears for his decision.

Byakuya's eyes widened with understanding despite himself. He didn't want to admit it, but Ichigo's words made him look at things in a different perspective. "Let's end this. We both have little reiatsu left. I'll end it in my next attack."

Ichigo agreed though he didn't answer. He didn't need to. He powered up and, soon, his awfully dark reiatsu was surging sky-high. Byakuya did the same and his white reiatsu surged sky-high as well. By now, many Shinigamis outside the cliff already knew that Ichigo was in Sokyouku Hill. The two shunpo'd towards each other and their zanpakutous clashed marvelously, creating waves and waves of powerful reiatsus in their wake.

Their last clash felt like eternity even though it only lasted some mere seconds. Byakuya initially thought that his hand was cut off. But when he saw it bleeding, he immediately knew that Ichigo held back at the last second. _Damn arrogant brat. _His zanpakutou was broken and he knew, just then, _he lost_.

Ichigo couldn't help but hold back at the last second when he felt that Byakuya's zanpakutou broke. Of course, if he didn't hold back, he would've only not cut Byakuya's hand but also a bit of his arm. _Rukia would kill him if she found out. _Ichigo knew how much Rukia loved her nii-sama, and he was sure that it didn't change despite the fact that he just abandoned her to be executed. Not to mention that Byakuya wouldn't be able to use his good hand to hold Senbonzakura anymore. _That would be so lonesome…_

Byakuya's stance wavered a bit and the teen held the sudden urge to support the larger man's frame with his own body. Instead, he watched as the raven straightened his posture and looked at Ichigo with his usual cool expression.

"It's my loss, Ichigo Kurosaki. My sword is broken. I no longer have the means to chase after and capture Rukia." Byakuya voiced as he held his bleeding arm with his able hand. He started walking away but stopped, though he didn't turn around. "I will make sure to investigate the death of Aizen-taichou and Ukitake-taichou thoroughly. I'll make the culprit pay." And with that, he disappeared using shunpo.

Ichigo stared after him, wide-eyed and shocked. He couldn't believe it. On top of the fact that he admitted defeat, Byakuya even stopped the chase of Rukia and also admitted that he doubted Ichigo really killed Juushirou and Aizen, even if only implicitly. He couldn't help but feel warmth inside him. It was a freeing feeling, the feeling that someone believed he didn't do it. And right then, he knew that he had a newfound respect for the noble.

'_**Someone is in love.' **_Shiro snickered.

"Idiot. I'm merely giving him more credit than I already planned." Ichigo muttered, not even stopping to think about such things. He swore he would never cherish anyone again. And that was that. Shiro merely shook his head inside the teen's inner world, indicating he didn't believe a word that came out of his King's mouth.

Ichigo immediately shunpo'd away from the cliff because he knew many Shinigamis would be looking for him there. He stopped by the forest where he used to train in, listening to the chaos happening all over Seireitei while he recovered his reiatsu.

Just then, an announcement by Isane Kotetsu using a Tenteikura was heard all over Seireitei and everyone stopped and looked up, even those who were fighting against one another. Everyone slowly quieted just as shock, deep and raw shock, and utter disbelief slowly registered onto their expressions. _Aizen. _The bastard was alive.

_The traitor was alive._

He's the one behind everything, the one plotting behind the scenes. He's the one who killed Juushirou Ukitake-taichou and the one who purposefully framed Ichigo Kurosaki, Juushirou's son, for the crime. It was so that he could quietly dispose of the two people who knew of his real identity. He, together with Gin Ichimaru-taichou and Kaname Tousen-taichou, had been plotting against Soul Society for some time now.

Aizen killed all the members of Central 46 and had been the one giving orders since then, even the order of Rukia Kuchiki and Ichigo Kurosaki's executions.

As of now, he seriously injured both Toshirou Hitsugaya-taichou and Momo Hinamori-fukutaichou just to silence them. Isane also warned that Kyouka Suigetsu, Aizen's zanpakutou, wasn't really a water-type zanpakutou but a zanpakutou that guaranteed complete hypnosis on anyone who saw its release. On top of that, he was currently holding Rukia Kuchiki hostage in Sokyouku Hill. All Taichous and fukutaichous, ryokas, and also Ichigo Kurosaki, were to immediately go to Sokyouku Hill and stop Aizen's plans, whatever it was.

When the announcement ended, the only sound that could be heard was the howl of the wind in the middle of the day. It was disconcerting. And in the little moment that everyone took to recover, Aizen had finally managed to corner Renji and Rukia in the said Hill.

Renji gritted his teeth but he refused to give Rukia to Aizen. "Aizen-taichou, why would you do this? This isn't like you!"

Aizen smiled. "It seems then, Abarai-fukutaichou, that you do not know me at all. Why do you think Ichigo cringes away every time I try to talk to him?" Renji's surprise was written all over his face. Though he knew by now, from the announcement, that Ichigo and Juushirou had been the only two people who knew of Aizen's real person, he still couldn't believe that his friend had known about Aizen all along.

Aizen raised his hand, and Renji didn't know what the Taichou would do, until a sword came in contact with the brunette's arm.

Karin's eyes widened when she saw that Aizen blocked his sword attack barehanded. Even Kenpachi bled with the impact of her sword and Aizen didn't?

"Karin!" Rukia called, worry clearly etched on her feature, but Karin merely nodded at Renji, who immediately understood what they would do.

The two of them attacked Aizen simultaneously using their Bankai, Renji's was a giant skeletal snake-like sword with a head while Karin's was the gigantic wave of water where the snake floated to gain more speed. Their attacks came crushing down on Aizen but it was unsettling that Aizen had not even moved from his spot as he was swallowed by two giant Bankai.

Karin and Renji panted both, standing side by side, and they were about to come and see the damage on Aizen when they both fell on their knees, having suffered a long and deep cut along their torsos. They didn't even realize they were already attacked by Aizen in that one second that they let their guard down. Karin coughed up blood as she fell on her knees while Renji immediately tried to stand up in order to protect Rukia. But when he did, another slash came in contact with his skin and his back oozed so much blood before he fell on the ground.

"Renji! Karin!" Rukia shouted in pain and grief. "What do you want, Aizen-taichou!?" She was still weak, but she knew she wouldn't run away even if she could, not when her two friends were sprawled on the ground beneath the brunette Taichou.

Aizen shunpo'd in front of her and immediately stuck his hand in Rukia's chest. Rukia's eyes widened as a black hole appeared in the middle of her chest. And when Aizen's hand came out, he was already holding a small bluish crystal-like stone. Aizen looked at it with awe for a while before he raised his sword and slashed Rukia with it, though his amusement grew when his sword did not hit Rukia's skin but another's.

"Kuchiki-taichou." He smiled cruelly. "How selfless of you to sacrifice yourself for your sister." Byakuya looked at Aizen coldly but not even he could shield the pain from seeping through his expression. He clutched his torso as blood slowly trickled down his Shihakusho. He looked at Renji and Karin's sprawled form.

"Nii-sama!" Rukia exclaimed in horror and worry behind him.

Despite his condition, Byakuya still fought against Aizen for a while using kidou. His sword was temporarily broken and his reiatsu had not yet recovered to fix it. Of course, Aizen found it fascinating that Byakuya could at least hold some minutes against him without a zanpakutou, but that was the end of it.

Rukia used her petite form to catch her nii-sama as the noble fell on his side, bloodied and on the brink of unconsciousness. Just then, they felt the reiatsus of many Shinigamis coming on their way and Byakuya knew it would be alright.

Sajin Komamura, the Taichou of 7th Squad, and Shuuhei immediately shunpo'd towards where Tousen was, immediately pointing their swords at him though not attacking.

"Tousen-taichou! I thought you believe in justice? Why would you side with a traitor?" Komamura asked, pained that his friend, the Taichou of the 9th Division and also Shuuhei's Taichou, was blinded by Aizen's ideals.

"Everyone has their own sense of justice. This is mine, Komamura-taichou." The blind Captain voiced and he immediately attacked both Komamura and Shuuhei. Komamura used his Bankai and Shuuhei used his Shikai but none of them lasted when Tousen used his own Bankai.

Everything went dark for them then and when everything cleared again, Komamura and Shuuhei lay sprawled on the floor, lying in a pool of their own blood. The blind man's Bankai had the ability to shut down the enemy's senses except their sense of touch.

Gin watched in amusement as everyone else's reiatsu came rushing forward in Sokyouku Hill. And he immediately shunpo'd away from his spot just as a powerful blast of Raikoho struck it. Yoruichi appeared together with Soi Fon and the two immediately used a combined attack to corner him.

Soutaichou and the others immediately arrived one by one and the sight of many sprawled bodies on the ground unsettled some of them while the majority felt tremendous rage against the three traitors. Shunsui wanted to fight Aizen to at least ease a little of the pain that the traitor caused to him by killing his best friend Juushirou, but he knew that someone else more capable would defeat him. So he focused his attention on Kaname Tousen just as Kenpachi arrived and helped him.

Yoruichi and Soi Fon fought against Gin but all of them were getting nowhere. Rangiku joined and even tried to convince Gin to just come back to their side but Gin simply gazed at her sadly before his grin switched in place and fought all three of them.

Shunsui lay sprawled on the ground after experiencing Tousen's bankai but Kenpachi remained standing, not really knowing what true fear was. Gin used Inemura on Rangiku to force her to sleep while he fought against Soi Fon and Yoruichi. Aizen had cut every fukutaichous and other seated Shinigamis who had the audacity to attack him, namely: Choujirou Sakakibe, Nanao Ise, Ikkaku, Yumichika, and even Omaeda Marechiyo who didn't even dared attack the strong Taichou fell on his knees and found himself bleeding on the ground.

Unohana, Isane, and most of the other Shinigamis were still in the 4th Division and giving or getting treatment so the ones in Sokyouku Hill had no reinforcement at all.

This made the soutaichou's eyes narrowed as he watched all his subordinates fall one by one at the hands of the three traitors. He immediately appeared in front of Aizen and spoke. "All of those who are capable, leave this Hill immediately. Or you will all get burnt."

All of those injured were the ones who helped those who were unconscious in the height of adrenaline rush. They immediately shunpo'd to the side, the forested area, of the Sokyouku Hill and waited there. The Shinigamis who were not unconscious used their little reiatsus to at least help stop the immediate loss of blood of those who were unconscious and those on the brink of losing their lives. Yachiru was surprisingly good at channeling her reiatsu in that way. And Kenpachi, unsurprisingly, only helped in carrying the unconscious ones. He had dealt a good blow to Tousen but the latter was still pretty much alive. Yachiru used a Rikujokorou on him, binding him in the midsection. Shunsui looked drunk but he was alright.

The orange-haired female ryoka named Orihime also helped in giving treatment to the wounded but her power was busily treating Karin's wounds right now. The other ryokas – namely Chad, Uryuu, and Ganjuu – were also helping in the evacuation of the area. Yoruichi and Soi Fon also used their remaining reiatsu to at least save the others. Gin was wounded badly and was bound by their combined Sajou Sabaku, a type of binding spell that thoroughly bound the target. All of them waited in the forested area, keeping themselves away from the fight but also being in the area, watching, just in case reinforcement was needed.

_Now, only Aizen was left._

"There's no need for that, Yamamoto-soutaichou." Aizen smiled as he showed the Hogyouku to the soutaichou and it glowed immediately, blinding everyone in the site. And when it was all over, Yamamoto found out something that made his eyes widened a fraction – his sword Ryuujinjakka had lost its reiatsu.

"What did you do, boy?" He asked. Everyone who was about to flee watched in dread as even their Supreme Commander lost his power.

"I merely used a little of the Hogyouku's power by channeling my reiatsu in it." Aizen smiled. "Don't worry, it's a little too hard for the still incomplete Hogyouku to truly absorb your reiatsu, Soutaichou, so I merely sealed it for a while. And as for the others, don't worry. The Hogyouku is quite exhausted so it will take weeks to make it work again. So fear not that your reiatsu will be sealed too." Not that the brunette was worried of course. All this time he had feared the soutaichou's power. But without that, no one would ever stand a chance against him.

"So there will be no more sealing, right?" A quiet reiatsu stepped in the middle of the Sokyouku Hill but even those weakened could feel the intense fury boiling in his reiatsu.

"Akambo." Yamamoto voiced when the reiatsu registered on his senses.

"I'm not a baby, Yama-jii." Ichigo answered, scowling, as he walked in between Aizen and Yamamoto. Shunsui, who was quietly watching, couldn't help but grin. It seemed Ichigo had taken after his chichi, even calling the soutaichou in the same way.

"I'll let the akambo fight you for now, boy." Yamamoto shunpo'd away from the two and Aizen smirked at Ichigo.

"You think you can defeat me, Ichigo, when so many others couldn't?" He asked. "Not even your adopted father managed to scratch me." He couldn't help but chuckle, looking at Ichigo as if a child had volunteered to die first. It was a good thing that he tried his best to get a little sample of the boy's reiatsu, allowing his plan to be complete. He was surprised when he first learned that the boy was also a Vizard like his other experiments. But it was worth knowing.

Ichigo stared at him quietly, though his eyes were ablaze with fury and deep hatred. "I despise you, Aizen. I'll make you pay for taking the life of my father."

Everyone watched from the sideline as Ichigo pointed his sword outward in front of him and called forth his Bankai. An immense wave of reiatsu covered the whole area and when Ichigo appeared next, he was already dressed in his Bankai clothes, with the chain coiled from his right shoulder to his wrist and the fingerless black glove on his right hand. He wore a very solemn expression.

"Let's do this." He said before he swiftly vanished in thin air and not even one second later he appeared behind Aizen and immediately sliced him in half in a horizontal manner.

Aizen was quick to dodge and he immediately smiled, that same kind and yet cruel smile that he also used when he killed a Shinigami that night. "Kyouka Suigetsu." And everything changed. The sky turned red and the whole place turned dark.

Ichigo looked around him and saw that everyone also had the same dumbstruck expression. He gritted his teeth. _He saw the release._

'_**Don't worry, King. I didn't.' **_Shiro said inside his mind. _**'I'll guide you.'**_

Byakuya and the others watched as Ichigo slowly closed his eyes before he readied his sword in an offense position.

"What's he going to do with his eyes shut?" Omaeda's injured voice rang but he was quickly silenced by some Shinigamis. They watched as the sky turned dark and millions of tiny dots appeared.

"What's that?" Shunsui asked as they all looked upward. But the dots, it seemed were not really dots as they descended slowly. Horrified gasps escaped many lips as the dots descended low enough for them to see its real form. The many tiny dots now appeared bigger than they were.

"Hollows!" Karin exclaimed as she tried her best to stand up. Everyone tried to at least get into a defensive position.

"Ichigo!" Renji shouted when he saw that Ichigo had not moved from his position.

'_**Listen to me, King.' **_Shiro's distorted voice echoed all throughout his system. _**'There's nothing to worry about. The reiatsus that you feel are not real. It's the effect of the hypnosis that Aizen has put you in. Focus. Aizen is just a few steps away. You have to attack him stealthily.'**_

Everyone's eyes widened as Ichigo attacked Aizen without any regard for the Hollows shrieking beside him. Aizen looked half amused and half annoyed at it. The boy's eyes were still closed.

Gin laughed and they all turned and glared at him. "It seems Aizen has found his equal." He watched as Ichigo's expression remained calm despite the enormous and creepy reiatsus surrounding him. _That boy was a prodigy. Serves Aizen right._

"What's so different about it?" Omaeda asked as he closed his eyes. "I can still feel the Hollows' reiatsu even if I close my eyes. And it will definitely disconcert me if I am to fight in the midst of them without knowing if they were really real or not."

"That's why you haven't achieved Bankai yet." Shunsui said. "You have to listen to your inner soul and must have the courage and the resolve to go through it. If you're in Ichigo's position, you would've slashed every Hollow by now without taking notice of the real opponent, which is Aizen." Omaeda pouted but didn't answer anymore. Shunsui was way older than him to make him talk back.

Aizen was forced to exchange blows with Ichigo, though the Taichou still had the upper hand. Ichigo's eyes were closed and he could not see Aizen's movements thoroughly. He could only rely on Shiro for the direction of the opponent and where the attacks were coming from.

Everyone else saw that Aizen had appeared behind Ichigo and many of them shouted for the teen to turn around and face the opponent. Some even cursed the fact that he was fighting with eyes closed, which they said was preposterous if not utterly insane.

'_**Aizen is not behind you, Ichigo.' **_Shiro voiced quietly. _**'The moment you turn around is the moment he will attack from your right.'**_

They all saw Ichigo turn around but then Aizen appeared from the right. They all thought it was the end for the teen but the attack was thoroughly blocked by Zangetsu. It seemed that even though Ichigo turned around, he knew that Aizen would attack from his right.

Aizen was growing tired of playing. He was starting to get serious and the attacks were becoming more and more powerful. And that's not all.

"Ichigo-kun." The voice was so thoroughly familiar that Ichigo had forgotten for a while that its owner was already dead. In that one moment that his eyes had instinctively opened at the call, his eyes met several attacks from Aizen's sword.

"Aizen! That's playing dirty!" Yoruichi shouted as she watched Ichigo's eyes widened at the sight of Juushirou in front of him, holding a sword and had immediately attacked him.

.

.tbc

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**Ren-sama's Note:**

**Yeah, I know Ichigo's gloves in the anime is different and longer. But it doesn't hurt to change it a little, right? (I like fingerless gloves!) I changed his Bankai a bit – I want the way Ichigo looked when he fought against Aizen.**

**So, how do you think of the little change in attitude between Byakuya and Ichigo? Uh, review? ˆoˆ**


	13. Chapter 13

**Ren-sama's Note:**

**I thank everyone for the wonderful reviews. Please don't continue to kill me with your comments about Juushirou's death. I know… I'm sorry I killed him. **

**P.S. I know I already made a disclaimer at the beginning of this fan fict. And I know that you people might recognize some copied lines from the original anime. Yes, that's intentional, and I know, I don't own them so please don't sue me. That's all. ˆoˆ**

**.**

**Chapter 13**

"Aizen! That's playing dirty!" Yoruichi shouted as she watched Ichigo's eyes widened at the sight of Juushirou in front of him, holding a sword and had immediately attacked him.

Ichigo was paralyzed for a while, and that second was much too important, because he immediately found himself on his knees while sporting deep gashes on his torso and shoulders.

'_**You idiot! I told you not to open your eyes!' **_Shiro shouted from inside him.

Byakuya knew that the boy has not yet recovered fully from their last fight, and now he was fighting again. The noble immediately stood up.

"Nii-sama?" Rukia called, fearing what her nii-sama was about to do.

"Ichigo Kurosaki has suffered a lot of injuries in his fight with me." He voiced coolly. "And I can see that he has not yet fully recovered from it."

"But Byakuya-bo, you will only get in his way, what with you thoroughly injured and all." Yoruichi voiced and she earned a glare from him.

"You can't even stand up properly, Kuchiki-taichou." Gin smirked. "What do you think you can do?"

Byakuya clenched his fists as he watched Ichigo coughed up blood, still not having the audacity to strike his sword against Juushirou's form. They all knew that the boy knew that Juushirou was a mere illusion. But the pain and agony of having to strike a sword to an opponent with his father's face was making Ichigo break. _He couldn't do it._

_And that only proved that Ichigo wasn't the really one who killed his chichi._

'_**You idiot! You know that that's not him! Do you think your chichi will ever raise his sword against you!?'**_

"_I know, I know that..." _Ichigo choked. _"But it doesn't change the fact that the pain I feel right now is real…"_

"Ichigo Kurosaki." Byakuya's voice was loud and clear, making Ichigo looked at him. "Close your eyes again. Your enemy is Aizen." And with that, the noble sat down once again, not wanting to fall on his knees in front of everyone.

The other Shinigamis glanced at one another, not really knowing what came to the cold and heartless Kuchiki noble for him to say such words to a man he barely knew. Ichigo nodded and immediately followed his advice and exchanged blows with Aizen again.

But it had been already too late. After several minutes of continuous swift and reiatsu-laden attacks between the two, Ichigo has already fallen on his knees again. He has suffered many injuries but Aizen was still without any scratch.

"Much like Juushirou in his last minute." Aizen voiced. "How pitiful." Ichigo glared at him. "Do you know what he said to me, Ichigo, before he died?"

"Stand up, Ichigo!" Renji and Rukia shouted in unison, much too weak to even stand up and help their friend. But Ichigo was too focused on Aizen to hear them.

"Aizen, you bastard!" Ichigo slowly stood up and attacked Aizen once again. He was slowly losing his cool because of Aizen's provocations.

Aizen looked even more amused as the two exchanged powerful blows. "He told me not to hurt his beloved son. He told me that I could do whatever I wanted with him, as long as I would not hurt you. How noble."

Ichigo could feel intense grief when he heard those words. He knew Aizen was using his emotion to make him weak, but he couldn't help it. He wanted to just fall on the ground, curve into a fetal position, and cry his heart out.

"You see, he accidentally saw me using Kyouka Suigetsu to make the scene where I was supposedly killed." Aizen said. "He saw how my sword turned into a hoax corpse, bloodied, and how I pinned it on the wall to make it look like a crime. And it's really a pity that he had to see it." Ichigo gritted his teeth as he continued his attacks, which Aizen only dodged easily. "Ukitake-taichou was aghast. And he immediately asked what that was all about. Of course, I answered by immediately grabbing his sword and thrusting it in his heart before I told him of my plan to frame you in the crime of killing me."

Ichigo's breath was hitching with every word that Aizen spoke. The man spoke so coolly as if it was the weather he was talking about and not a crime that he planned. "It's not in my plan to kill him, Ichigo. But he just had to be in the wrong place and at the wrong time, so I made some revisions. I included him in the plan at the last minute."

Ichigo attacked head-on, obviously attacking blindly because of the intense agony that he felt, but he received a stab from Aizen's zanpakutou and had to step back again.

Much to everyone's grief, they were forced to watch as Ichigo's reiatsu slowly diminished while Aizen still stood unscratched. They wanted to help really badly but they knew that they would only get in the way.

Ichigo received a really deep cut along his torso, again, after some minutes of fighting and he found himself losing consciousness rapidly.

'_**IDIOT! Don't you dare lose consciousness if you don't want me to take over!' **_Ichigo smiled in half consciousness. Shiro was such a worrywart in his own way. _**'Hey! I heard that!'**_

Aizen stood victoriously in front of everyone as Ichigo lay on his stomach on the cold ground, beaten and unmoving. "It seems you relied too much in an infant, Soutaichou."

Everything cleared before everyone's eyes just then. The sky returned to its clear bluish hue and the sun hung up in the sky, giving them so much vibrant light. The millions of Hollows disappeared, confirming their assumption that those were mere illusions created by Kyouka Suigetsu. Everything looked peaceful that it was unnerving. _Because Aizen still stood before them with his victorious expression. _

And just then, a huge amount of the sky rifted open and Menos Grandes peeked through the Garganta that they created. The reiatsu was thoroughly immense and they all used their arms to cover their eyes from the whirlwind of dusts that had gathered from the intense wind.

"Gillians!" Soi Fon exclaimed in horror. She, Yoruichi, and the others who were still capable immediately shunpo'd and clashed swords against Aizen, only to immediately back away when a negacion fell down from the sky. They knew then that it was no use trying to chase after Aizen inside that.

"What has made you turn into this, boy?" Soutaichou asked solemnly. He had not realized that Aizen was plotting. And it seemed the man had been plotting for at least decades now.

Aizen smirked as he slowly ascended. "I want both Shinigami and Hollow powers. You Shinigamis have been much too rigid in everything. You don't accept it if someone's different from you. You don't have much of a future. You don't know what it's like to have both powers, to own both Soul Society and Hueco Mundo. But I do. And I will succeed! I am a transcendent being for being able to think of and do such things!" Soutaichou's already narrow eyed narrowed even more. "Shinigamis cannot touch me while I'm inside this. It's a Hollow's protection barrier they use to help their comrades. Only Hollows can cut this dimensional barrier."

Everyone couldn't answer. Even the Soutaichou had nothing to say. He knew that fact very well.

"I see. So Hollows can still chase after you." All turned their heads to Ichigo's direction. His fringe covered his eyes and they were casted downward. He slowly stood up, silent rage and anguish fuelling his reiatsu darker and darker by the minute. "I really didn't want to use it. I don't want anyone to see me like this… But I don't care anymore. As long as I can kill you, Aizen." The others didn't know what he meant by his words, until their eyes showed it to them.

Ichigo made a scratching motion with his fingers across his face and everyone stared in shock, awe, and bewilderment as a Hollow mask with two long and huge horn appeared in front of his face, making him at least fifteen to twenty times stronger and deadlier. He sharply looked up at the negacion and screamed; but his voice was no longer that of Ichigo's but a distorted Hollow-like shriek, filled with anguish and pain.

Aizen's eyes widened when he saw the Hollow mask that Ichigo had. "Hollowfication. Of course, you're a Vizard too." Then his eyes narrowed. "How?"

Ichigo didn't answer however. He didn't need to. It was all Aizen's fault anyway. If Aizen had not framed him and he had not escaped to the living world, then he wouldn't have mastered the use of Hollow power, nor was he able to obtain Bankai. For three whole days, he fought against Zangetsu in the basement of the Vizards' hideout. And rest of the whole sixteen days was spent mastering his Hollow power.

He remembered how the other Vizards marveled at the fact that Ichigo's Hollow was a willing participant in the training, making his training and mastery of the Hollowfication more fruitful and a lot easier than any of them. They added it to the fact that Ichigo was born a Vizard. He was not made to become one, just like Shinji and the others were. And it meant that Ichigo's powers Zangetsu and Shiro, from birth, had been together with him. Shiro was not a foreign entity that Ichigo acquired in making his power grow. The Hollow had been a part of the teen ever since his conception and that made all the difference.

Ichigo screamed again, voice still filled with so much anguish and pain, his reiatsu flailing wildly and encircling him. The other Shinigamis didn't know if they would run towards Ichigo and hug him for comfort or if they would run away from the Hollow that was in front of them now.

"**GETSUGA TENSHOU!"** Ichigo swung his sword horizontally in a very swift manner and an overly massive wave of black reiatsu emerged form the tip of his sword and onto the garganta, forcing it to close as the Gillians stepped back. And then he fired Getsuga Tenshou at Aizen, making the negacion crack and the pieces started to fall down one by one.

"Ichigo!" Yoruichi was the first to approach Ichigo, not even minding the intense dark reiatsu that covered him. The others, especially his close friends, looked like they wanted to support him too but were in a much too weak of a condition to be able to get closer. "Are you alright?"

"**Yeah, my injuries heal immediately when I have my mask." **He answered, much to everyone's relief. They were both relieved that Ichigo was okay, and also relieved that Ichigo was still Ichigo, and not some Hollow that took over his body. Yoruichi smiled in a strained manner before she stepped away to not get in the teen's way.

Aizen stepped down, clearly angry that his escape was foiled by a mere infant. "I didn't know you can already use your Hollow powers, Ichigo. I'm quite surprised." He voiced coolly.

Ichigo swung his thin black sword over his shoulder before he spoke. **"Didn't I say I'll make sure to make you pay for killing chichi, Aizen?" **And without any word, he immediately landed a blow on Aizen. The man was able to block it using his zanpakutou but his feet slid in the ground from the impact. He was being pushed back.

Aizen gritted his teeth. He tried to channel his reiatsu to the Hogyouku once more but it didn't respond. He knew it was sleeping because it had just sealed the reiatsu of the most powerful and oldest living Shinigami, but he couldn't help but try to call for it. And the fact that he realized he was calling for help did not sit well with him.

"**What's wrong, Aizen? Not going to make any smart comment?" **Ichigo asked as he swung his sword again and blood oozed on Aizen's clothes as he was cut for the first time.

The older man winced at the fact that Ichigo's Hollow reiatsu felt sickly hot on his skin. He gripped his zanpakutou tighter and immediately attacked Ichigo.

Ichigo felt satisfaction at the fact that Aizen's blood was trickling from the deep gash that he made. He felt elated at the fact that Aizen wore a strained expression now and not the usual cold sadistic smile that he wore when he kills. He felt thoroughly satisfied every time Aizen attacked and yet all the man received were cuts and gashes. _And Ichigo was still holding back._

'_**King, use **_**that**_**!' **_Shiro exclaimed from inside him, and he was still in so much pain that he didn't care if Aizen thoroughly died in his next attack.

Ichigo bent his head forward and everyone watched as a huge ball of energy appeared on the tip of his horn, and before they could even react, it was already fired. _A Cero._

Aizen's eyes widened and he barely had time to dodge as the cero blasted in his direction. His left side was burnt and he gritted his teeth as pain immediately surged through him. Ichigo shrieked again, as if in pain, then he raised his sword and fired a huge Getsuga Tenshou once more.

His comrades knew that Ichigo was suffering, not because of the Hollow's power, but because he could not feel thorough satisfaction at the fact that Aizen now appeared as a dirt in front of him, bleeding, panting, and losing. Ichigo wanted revenge for the death of his father but he couldn't feel it in the way Aizen made him look like he's the one who's sadistic enough to kill a person without any power to counterattack.

"Ichigo…" Rukia sobbed as she felt the intense rage and anguish that filled the air because of Ichigo's reiatsu. They could all feel the sadness, and longing, the deep desire to avenge. "You should stop now…"

Aizen breathed shallowly as he was forced to roll on the ground just to get away from another Cero that was fired at him. Ichigo walked towards him and the older male was forced to step back.

"**I'll kill you, Aizen." **Ichigo voiced quietly.

Aizen gritted his teeth. He knew he would lose over half his reiatsu if he ever performed a spell of that caliber, but he knew he didn't have a choice if he wanted to survive this. He exhaled and breathed out. "Hado No 90: Kurohitsugi!"

Rukia whimpered when Ichigo was covered by the black coffin and the entirety of his reiatsu vanished. Renji held her hand and squeezed it to assure her quietly that it would be alright. And it did. Ichigo only had to swing his left hand horizontally in order to smash the black wall.

"**Is that all you can do now?" **Ichigo asked as he advanced, the black coffin disintegrating in his presence. **"Repeating the trauma I had as a child as I was forced to watch you kill a subordinate of yours sixteen years ago?"**

Aizen's eyes narrowed for a while, not knowing what Ichigo was talking about, until it all dawned to him. He smirked even though pain was etched on his very feature. "No wonder you have been trembling with so much fear the first time we met."

"**I don't fear you anymore, Aizen. I will kill you." **Ichigo raised his sword once more and fired a Getsuga Tenshou just as he fired a Cero on the other side where Aizen would surely run.

Aizen's eyes widened as the Cero appeared in front of him just as he shunpo'd away from the Getsuga Tenshou. His left side, that was already burnt, had been burnt once more and he couldn't help but scream in pain.

Ichigo watched as Aizen knelt on the ground in front of him, waiting for the satisfaction to come. But nothing did. All he felt was a deep, dark void of nothingness and he felt like there was a hole inside his chest where his heart was supposed to be. _It's like being a Hollow for real… _There's no heart inside him, only a mask.

Gently but firmly, a hand gripped his arm and a soft voice spoke from behind him. "There's no satisfaction in revenge, Ichigo Kurosaki." He turned around and saw steel gray eyes looking at him in determination. "Let Seireitei judge Aizen. You don't have to sully your hands with his blood. Sensei will not want you to kill because of him."

Byakuya watched as golden eyes from beneath the Hollow mask stared at him for a while. A warm, sweet breath escaped from the mask and he felt himself inhaling it. After a while, Ichigo's hand rose up and held the mask before he slid it off his face and onto the other side of his head.

Now, golden eyes held his gaze without any barrier. **"Don't you feel like you want to kill Aizen, too? Chichi is important to you too, right?" **Ichigo asked quietly in his Hollowfied voice. Byakuya's hand on his arm had brought him warmth and given him light, as if his long lost heart has somehow managed to return.

"Of course, but that doesn't mean we can just forget the rules and take it in our hands to give the punishment." He simply answered before he walked away again. He received curious glances but he ignored them. After all, he did it not for Ichigo but for Juushirou. He knew that his sensei would weep if he saw his son killing because of him. Or so he convinced himself. He knew deep inside him that the boy wouldn't be able to go and move on if he ever succeeded in killing his chichi's killer. He didn't want that to happen to Juushirou's son.

Everyone's attention turned to Aizen when the latter suddenly laughed. It sounded so sick and evil that it made their skin crawl. The latter stood up, blood dripping from his Shihakusho. "And you think you've defeated me, Ichigo? There will be only one transcendent being! And that will be me, Ichigo!" And he screamed, not the inhuman scream but a Hollow-like one, which made them all gape wide-eyed.

The hogyouku in his hand glowed and then, all of a sudden, a huge whirlwind of reiatsu emerged from where Aizen stood and covered his entire being. Soutaichou, Soi Fon, and Yoruichi immediately incanted some spells to make a barrier and prevent the wounded from receiving the smoldering reiatsu. The barrier was big enough to cover everyone, at least everyone on the sideline.

When the reiatsu cleared, their expressions turned from shock to horror. There, stood in front of them, was Aizen, or at least they thought it was Aizen. The guy still had brunette hair, but it was waist-length now. His dark and cold brown eyes turned completely black. His expression had hardened and his Shihakusho turned white. Also, there were huge and obviously deadly butterfly wings on his back.

"Wha–?" Rukia's eyes were wide and horrorstruck at the sight. "I-Is that… Aizen-taichou..?"

"He's… changed…" Byakuya muttered, eyebrows furrowed quite deeply. He's the only one not gaping aside from the Soutaichou and the many unconscious. Ichigo's eyes were wide behind the mask, though he wasn't gaping too.

Aizen laughed creepily when he saw the reaction from the gathered crowd. "Why are you so surprised? Does it scare you? That something you can't explain happened right before your eyes?" He laughed again.

"Would you explain to us what you've done?" Soutaichou asked in his casual though cautious manner.

Aizen chuckled before he spoke. "Very well, since the Soutaichou himself asked me. This," he motioned his hand outward in the air, talking about his appearance, "is how the hogyouku reacted to my wish! Even in deep slumber, it has given me the power to transcend above everyone, above even from the child Vizard that you're making me fight against!" His eyes then turned to Ichigo, who was still looking at him unmoving. "I, the true transcendent being, was able to evolve because of my deep wish! The hogyouku has recognized me as its master! Thanks to you, Ichigo!" And he laughed again.

Ichigo, because of Byakuya's words, has somehow lost some of the killing intentions that he had. And now, it was replaced by pity. He pitied Aizen. The man was obviously trying to be someone he could never be. His ambitions have driven him mad.

The teen brought his mask back on his face and readied for the battle to come.

Aizen ceased laughing, and in that instant, he disappeared and reappeared behind Ichigo. He swung his sword forward, but Ichigo was still able to block with his own sword. The two started exchanging powerful blows again. The Sokyouku Hill was starting to get destroyed and the surrounding forest too. The two disappeared and reappeared in different places – on the Sokyouku Hill, in the air, at the forest, at the area on top of the forest, and the area on top of Seireitei – within the span of seconds and fought so swiftly and powerfully that no normal eyes would have seen their actions at all.

Ichigo shunpo'd towards the Sokyouku Hill once again. Aizen appeared in front of him, too close, within seconds and swung his sword horizontally on Ichigo. Rukia screamed in fright for her friend and Ichigo's other friends nearly shunpo'd in between the two fighting men just to prevent Ichigo from getting cut. They knew there was no use dodging it because of the close proximity. There was no time. And the fact that Ichigo's sword was long would mean that he wouldn't be able to block it on time too. Aizen smirked, but Ichigo remained motionless.

And the sword made contact. Everyone looked at the scene with bated breaths and wide eyes when they saw what just happened. Even Aizen's eyes widened in shock as he looked at the scene before him. Ichigo's expression behind the mask appeared serious, though it was also solemn. Aizen's sword was caught in between the younger male's left thumb and his four other fingers, firming it in place.

Aizen's shock was so visible. _"Impossible! He caught it?!" _He immediately shunpo'd backwards and stared at Ichigo in disbelief.

Ichigo looked at Aizen straightly. **"Why are you so surprised? Does it scare you? That something you can't comprehend happened right before your eyes?"** Both Byakuya and Renji smirked at that. It was so like Ichigo to make his enemies gape in shock, and moreover, to use their own words against them.

Aizen growled in anger before he recovered himself and smirked. "Seeping crest of turbidity. Arrogant vessel of lunacy! Boil forth and deny! Grow numb and flicker! Disrupt sleep! Crawling queen of iron! Eternally self-destructing doll of mud! Unite! Repulse! Fill with soil and know your own powerlessness!" He shouted. "Hado no 91: Kurohitsugi!"

Ichigo remained motionless even though blocks and blocks of giant black box started to form around him, trapping him effectively. Aizen watched in fascination as his spell did its work. "This is a Kurohitsugi with full incantation! With my power, it can even transcend both time and space!"

Everyone watched in horror as the kidou swiftly engulfed Ichigo until it formed into a gigantic coffin-like structure. After some seconds though, the Kurohitsugi was immediately destroyed, with only Ichigo using his bare hand. His face remained emotionless, not that any of them could see through the slits of the mask which were for the eyes. If anyone looked at Ichigo, all they could see on those slits were darkness and two golden, almost glowing, orbs.

Aizen stared in shock when his full incanted Kurohitsugi was broken so easily. Ichigo didn't even sweat on it. **"You don't seem to realize it, do you, Aizen? My power is greater than the power you have right now."**

Aizen's eyes narrowed when Ichigo's reiatsu slowly vanished, before he laughed. "…Can you hear me, Ichigo Kurosaki?! Indeed, for a moment, you broke the boundary between Hollows and Shinigami to become a transcendent being. But that power is no more! Not a trace of it remains!"

The teen took a step forward, still looking so solemn. **"You still don't understand. All this time, I am merely trying to lower down my reiatsu in a way so you can understand it. But right now, now that I am fully exerting it, you can't even feel anything, can you?"**

Aizen's eyes widened at that. His hold on his sword tightened as his hands trembled in rage. "I see. You're pleased that you stopped my sword? Are you pleased that you overcame my kidou? Are you pleased that you put a scar on my body? Don't be so full of yourself, little Vizard!" He shouted in anger. "Just because you managed to do those little stunts doesn't mean you're stronger than I am! The hogyouku recognizes me as its master! And for that, I am invincible! A true transcendent being!"

Aizen, without another word, fired a cero towards Ichigo. The latter barely had time to dodge and he was engulfed by the full force reiatsu. Aizen laughed at that and vanished in that instant. He shunpo'd over to where Ichigo was and, just as the blow dissipated, grabbed the teen on his neck. "I, a true transcendent being, will kill you. By killing you, I will completely break free from both insignificant Shinigamis and Hollows alike. It's over, Ichigo Kurosaki!"

Ichigo looked at Aizen from behind his mask. **"Let's end this already, Aizen. I've grown sick of you're… arguments."**

"You little–!" Aizen's exclamation was interrupted when he felt something on his chest. He stared at Ichigo for a while, then his eyes darted to Ichigo's sword, which was now filled with blood, before he looked at his chest.

Ichigo watched as Aizen's eyes widened when he saw the extent of the cut that the teen gave just a few seconds ago. Aizen didn't even see the attack. Ichigo sighed. _It's over…_

Aizen dropped Ichigo just as he stepped backward slowly, one hand on his zanpakutou and one hand on his chest, obviously trying to stop the bleeding. He coughed up blood just as he fell on his knees. He panted hard, still shocked at the fact that he didn't see anything, not the attack, not Ichigo's movements. It was all so shocking. _Was the difference in their power so vast that he didn't have any chance of ever winning? Was it really what Ichigo had said? That the teen was far stronger than him?_

The others watched in awe and pride as the teen, Ukitake's one and only son, had managed to make Aizen fall on his knees twice. They were about to lift up the barrier to capture Aizen when the latter screamed again, both in agony and in anger.

Ichigo's eyes widened when he saw Aizen's wounds healing in a very rapid rate. The hogyouku that he held earlier was now placed on his chest, on his once wounded chest. Aizen's shriek became more Hollow-like as he stood up. The butterfly wings on his back grew and skull-like heads appeared on their ends. The middle of his forehead split open and out came what seemed to be an eye, also dark like the other two. He appeared more gruesome now and more Hollow-like than earlier.

The teen watched in half pity and half annoyance as Aizen's appearance turned more and more gruesome by the second. It was so disturbing to watch. Rukia hid her face on Renji's chest, which made Byakuya's eyebrow arched. Yoruichi and the others, the few others who were still conscious (some of the conscious people earlier lost their consciousness because of their wounds), didn't know if they would be disgusted or horrified. Either way, their faces looked like they just swallowed a whole gallon of vinegar.

Aizen laughed again. "See, Ichigo? There is no way you can win against me! The hogyouku here recognizes me as its master. It's willing to lend more power to me even in its state of slumber!"

Ichigo's eyes narrowed. He was sure that Aizen had gotten at least ten times, no, twenty times stronger than earlier. He wondered if there was ever a way to win against him once and for all.

'_Don't worry, Ichigo. He said that the hogyouku is in a state of slumber. It means that its true power will not be awakened any time soon. Right now, there's a limit to what he can do. We just have to push him onto it.' _It was Zangetu's voice, though Ichigo was sure that it was both Zangetsu and Shiro's. Shinji told him that instead of using his powers separately, he would become stronger if he would learn to combine them and use them both. That's one of the training that he endured. It was body and mind shattering, to say the least.

Ichigo nodded. And while he was a little distracted, Aizen used the chance to shunpo over to him. Ichigo's eyes widened when Aizen suddenly appeared in front of him and slashed him thoroughly. He heard Rukia and Renji, and also the others', voices and screams. Not only that, the six skull-like heads all bit him in different places of his body, making him scream in pain in his Hollowfied voice. Two heads bit on his either shoulders, a head bit on his left arm and another bit on his right wrist. That act made Ichigo lose hold of his zanpakutou and the sword dropped unceremoniously on the ground. The fifth head had bitten his right abdomen and the last one bit his left thigh. The pain was too intense that his mind blanked out for a while.

'_Ichigo!' _He heard his combined inner spirits shouted inside his mind. It made him regain consciousness again. Though his vision was going blank once more, and he knew he shouldn't let that happen.

From the slit of his mask, he looked at the people on the side. Rukia was looking at him with tears on her eyes, horrified at the scene. Renji looked like he's the one bitten. Soutaichou and Soi Fon couldn't even hide the worry that had etched in their expressions. Kenpachi's usual grin was nowhere to be found and Yachiru looked like she was about to cry. Yoruichi and Byakuya looked at Aizen with so much hatred and coldness. If only looks could kill, the traitor would have already turned into ashes from their glares alone.

"_Think, think!" _Ichigo shouted inside his head as he raked his brain for something that might help him escape from his current situation. His whole body was going numb. _That wasn't good. Signs like that were never good._

And then his eyes, instead of his mind, saw the possible solution. _'Yes, do that, King!' _His inner spirits shouted in agreement when they also saw what Ichigo was seeing.

Ichigo bit his lower lip to the point that it oozed blood, just to make himself move again. He was still being restrained by six skulls so it was pretty hard to move considering the fact that his body has become numb. He gathered all his strength and reiatsu just to shove away the skulls and get his hands free. Before Aizen could even see what he was planning, he immediately stabbed Aizen's chest with his hand and grabbed the hogyouku from the older man.

Aizen's eyes widened and he knee-kicked Ichigo on the abdomen, making the Shinigami clutch his stomach in pain. Aizen used that opportunity to grab the hogyouku once again and put it once more in his chest.

Aizen laughed. "Ichigo Kurosaki, you still want to fight me even though you're dying?" Ichigo looked at him, jaw clenched. "Don't you know that these skulls have poison in their teeth? The moment they bit you was the moment your death was decided. The poison that they have is something that was created by the hogyouku. There is no way to cure you anymore! You're going to die, Ichigo Kurosaki! You're going to die, and then your beloved little Shinigami friends will follow in mere seconds."

Ichigo clenched his fists. And when he opened his right fist again, Zangetsu disappeared from the ground and reappeared on his hand. He used this chance to wound Aizen, but the latter simply moved back, ceasing his hold on Ichigo's neck. The latter coughed before he stood up, still clutching his stomach. But his eyes were determined. **"I will never let you, Aizen."** He voiced quite steadily, some bits and pieces of his mask were falling on the ground.

Aizen growled silently at the kid's audacity to make such statement even when he was obviously the one in the disadvantage. "How tenacious. But it will only give your friends a false hope." He smirked. "I can still make myself more powerful than this, Ichigo. And when that happens, all your false tenacity will vanish along with your life. Allow me to show you."

Ichigo's eyes narrowed when Aizen called forth more reiatsu from the hogyouku and tried to evolve further. But he wasn't anticipating what happened next. No one did, except Ichigo. Aizen's eyes widened when his whole body trembled visibly before it calmed down. They all waited in bated breath to know exactly what happened, when all of a sudden all of Aizen's previous wounds split open and on his whole body appeared huge gashes simultaneously like he was just attacked by Senbonzakura so defenselessly.

"I see it's taking effect." Ichigo voiced and everyone, including Aizen, looked at him in confusion. "You keep saying that the hogyouku is still asleep. It means that there's a limit on what it can give you. And yet you kept on pushing and pushing the hogyouku to obey your wishes. And this is the result, the overuse of the hogyouku."

Aizen screamed when more wounds appeared and soon he was kneeling on his knees again, the ground beneath him full of blood. And yet, wounds continued to appear, making him look like a bloodied, badly mutilated corpse. His hair, as well as his whole body, came back to their previous appearance, his normal appearance, though it never looked normal anymore what with all the deep gashes and bloods.

"You abused the hogyouku's power, Aizen." Aizen looked at the owner of the voice and saw Yoruichi looking at him coldly. "You could have been able to make it obey you, but you discarded its will and shove your own thoughts into it. Now, the hogyouku is saying that it doesn't recognize you as its master."

"Ridiculous!" Aizen managed to exclaim in his trembling voice as he coughed up more and more blood.

"Believe what you want. This fight is over." Ichigo said.

Yoruichi and Soi Fon immediately used Gochutekkan on Aizen even though they knew it was already an overkill. Five incredibly tall silver pillars connected to one another by a chain appeared and pinned Aizen to the ground. Shunsui also moved closer, though slowly because of his injuries, and took the Hogyouku from Aizen's now bloodied chest. He shunpo'd towards the soutaichou and gave it to him.

Ichigo's mask dissolved completely just then and he fell onto his knees and coughed up blood before he dropped to the ground unconscious. Rukia and Renji immediately went to his side and took him carefully to the others to be healed.

.

.tbc.

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**Ren-sama's Note:**

**What's with people getting their hair longer when they become powerful: Aizen (during the time he absorbed the hogyouku), Ichigo (during his fight with Ulquiorra and during the time he used his Final Getsuga Tenshou), Grimmjow (his Resurreccion)? Please review! ˆoˆ**


	14. Chapter 14

**Ren-sama's Note:**

**Please be informed that this fict's facts are twisted and thus some of the facts in the anime/manga might not actually be true here, does not exist, or false. Treat it as some alternate dimension/universe. It means that you don't have to wonder about some things in the anime that weren't mentioned here. ˆoˆ**

**Sorry because it still lacks romance. (Those two still have a long way to go.)**

**.**

**Chapter 14**

"We will now pass judgment! Former Squad 5 Taichou, Sousuke Aizen. We sentence you to the lowest level of the Underground Prison 8: Muken, where you will remain for 18, 800 years!"

Aizen, with all the seal that he had, still managed to smirk at his executors. "How ironic. You lowly scums will be the ones to give such punishment to me? You can't even protect yourselves from my sword."

"How insolent!"

"You bastard!"

"Make his sentence 20, 000 years!"

**. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .**

He groaned and squinted his eyes when a light coming from somewhere stung them. He lay on his back and he knew he was in a very comfortable and soft bed if he felt like he had slept so much.

"Good morning, Kurosaki-san. How do you feel?" A voice said and Ichigo groaned again before he fully opened his eyes to scan his surroundings.

He was in a room painted in full white. There was a window on his right side where the light was coming from. The sun was already high up in the sky. He looked to his left side and saw Unohana-taichou by the doorway smiling kindly at him, still waiting for his answer. "I feel like I've slept a lot." He said after a while.

She chuckled. "Of course. You've been out for two weeks now."

His eyes widened at that before he blinked. "Two weeks?" He slowly sat up and shoved the cover off his body. He had no injuries left, not even a single bandage.

Unohana looked at the teen with barely concealed concern. "Kurosaki-san, I will be honest with you." Ichigo looked up at her. "You were barely alive in the first week, and though we had managed to suck out most of the poison from your system… we cannot undo the damage that it had done."

Ichigo scratched his head. Truth to be told, he expected that the next time he woke up, it would be Juushirou and Kaien's face that would greet him. That's what Aizen said after all, not that he believed in the guy's words thoroughly. "Can you tell me?"

Unohana sighed. "The damage to your organs was quite severe. Your heart has stopped beating thrice and we were afraid you couldn't make it. Right now, your heart remained weak and you will experience chest pains. The damage to your organs couldn't be thoroughly healed by kidou and it made your immune system so much weaker than ordinary Shinigami. Anything that can build up fatigue may cause you to cough up blood from time to time. Don't worry though, it is not life threatening if you will not let yourself be fatigued too much. When that happens, you only need to fully rest, and your body will recuperate."

Ichigo looked thoughtful for a while. "Will I be like that forever?"

"Probably, at least until we find, or invent, an antidote for that poison." Unohana said calmly. "The poison is made from Aizen-taichou's evolved form with the help of the hogyouku. Kurotsuchi-taichou is having a problem in trying to look at the poison's potential content because it has some remnants of Aizen-taichou and the hogyouku's reiatsu which prevents us from even touching it. Right now, the sample of the poison is stored in the Shinigami Research Institute's lab. Until the reiatsu that protects it dissipates, we cannot do any form of study to make an antidote."

Ichigo looked outside for a while, obviously absorbing the facts that were laid down to him. "Have you told anyone about this?"

Unohana nodded. "Don't worry, aside from the Soutaichou, I only told those who are truly close to you, namely Kuchiki-san, Abarai-fukutaichou, Zaraki-taichou, Madarame-san and Ayasegawa-san, Kyouraku-taichou, Hitsugaya-taichou, and of course, I planned on telling Kuchiki-taichou but I wasn't able to find a chance."

Ichigo arched an eyebrow at the last name. _Since when was he and Byakuya close? _He bet Byakuya wouldn't even bat an eyelid if he receives the news. Well, at least that made him feel less shocked by the news of his condition. "Eh… is everyone alright?"

"Yes, though while you're out, things have been rather problematic here." Unohana said seriously before she seemed to remember not to make the patient worry and smiled again. "Don't worry about it, Kurosaki-san. All you need to do is rest."

"Uhm… Can you tell me what happened when I was out?" Ichigo asked as he scratched his head, before he immediately stiffened at the gaze he received from Unohana. He felt himself shudder.

"What did I say, Kurosaki-san?" She asked, smiling, though Ichigo could feel himself tremble.

"Ah, 'd-don't worry about it and rest'." He repeated and Unohana gave him a satisfied smile before she left, saying she would ask the others to prepare some food for him.

'_**Man, that woman's smile is way fearsome than Aizen's.' **_Shiro snickered inside his head.

"_You can say that again." _He agreed.

'_You need to take more care of yourself from now on, Ichigo.' _Zangetsu said. _'Endless sparring sessions with Kenpachi will have to be avoided at all costs.'_

'_**That sucks.' **_Shiro grumbled. _**'That Aizen really did a good one on us.'**_

'_There's no use on dwelling on that, Shiro.' _Zangetsu said calmly. _'All we have to do is prevent Ichigo from over fatigue. That's all that we can do now.'_

"_Tch, you guys worry too much." _Ichigo scratched the back of his head again.

'_**So, Ichigo, what do you think will happen now? You won't live here anymore, right? I mean, you're not a Shinigami and Juushirou is already dead. And not to mention you're a Vizard.'**_

"_I don't know yet." _Ichigo sighed. But the fact that he didn't find himself in some abandoned place in Rukongai when he woke up meant that maybe, _just maybe,_ Seireitei didn't fear or hate his power that much.

After a while, Renji and Rukia came. Rukia was carrying a tray containing a very welcomed meal. Ichigo took it and uttered his gratitude before he started eating quietly. Rukia was a bit timid in his presence at first because of the fact that it was her fault that Kaien died, but Ichigo said that she was not at fault. She even hugged him tight for a while and told him how she missed him so much. She even thought she wouldn't be able to see him anymore what with the execution and all. After all that, Renji and Rukia chatted about the time that he was out.

Rukia told him of a heart-warming apology between her and her nii-sama. Byakuya, it seemed, cared about her after all. He was just blinded by his ideals and the clan's honor. She also told him how the other Shinigamis managed things after the fight, that so many were out cold and many more were heavily injured, but all of them lived.

Aizen was imprisoned and would stay there for 20, 000 years. Kaname Tousen would be imprisoned for 18, 000 years. Gin Ichimaru confessed a lot of things and thus would receive the lowest punishment out of the three of them, to be imprisoned for only 8, 000 years.

The former third Squad Taichou confessed many things – that it was Aizen who experimented on the Vizards one hundred years ago and not Kisuke Urahara. The latter was merely framed for a crime he did not commit. Aizen was also the one that had gotten Shiba-fukutaichou and several other Shinigamis from the 13th Squad killed. He's the one who unleashed the Hollow Metastacia, the Hollow that went inside the bodies of the humans it ate, for his Hollowfication experiment. He's also the one responsible for the deaths of many souls with high amount of reiatsu. It seemed Aizen used those people of Rukongai and fed their souls to the hogyouku.

Ichigo's chest tightened at that. He started to wish now that he should've killed Aizen. But he also knew that both Juushirou and Kaien, and even Miyako, would not be very happy if he did that. _So he was still thankful that Byakuya stopped him._

There were several other crimes that Gin confessed but none of them were familiar to Ichigo except the one that happened sixteen years ago. It seemed Aizen had hacked into the 12th Division's computer and took all the data about negacion, Gillian, about Karin Kurosaki and a lot of other information. And the guy that Aizen killed that night, where Ichigo was a witness, was not his subordinate, yet, because the guy was still on the process of transferring from the 13th Division to the 5th Division.

They have also learned of Gin's true aim. He wasn't really on Aizen's side, but was just taking his time to learn of the other man's weaknesses. Gin was still a child when he first became Aizen's subordinate. But it wasn't because he admired the older male. It's because of revenge. But Gin wouldn't tell anyone what happened and why he was exacting an act of revenge. Not even Rangiku could make him talk. And that would've helped in making his sentence even lower in years.

"Ichigo," Rukia called when he finished his meal. He looked up and saw that both Renji and Rukia wore a very pained expression. "Have you experienced something? I know you've been asleep and all so it might not even be possible. But… I mean, is there something wrong with your zanpakutou?"

Ichigo looked at them for a while before he shook his head. "Zangetsu-ojii-san is resting together with Shiro. Why?" His two friends looked at each other for a while before they settled that Renji would talk.

"Well, can you feel anything from our zanpakutou?" Renji asked.

Ichigo looked at Zabimaru for a while before he looked at Sode no Shirayuki, and true to their words, he couldn't feel anything from the swords, not even a speck of reiatsu.

"Aizen?" He asked tentatively but Rukia readily shook her head.

"We originally thought that it was Aizen, that it was the effect of his use of the Hogyouku. But the phenomenon only started a week ago. Our zanpakutous aren't sealed. It's materialized and is now having a rebellion against us Shinigamis."

Ichigo furrowed his eyebrows. "What do you mean?"

"Zabimaru immediately tried to attack me five days ago when I activated its shikai." Renji immediately said. "It has already been nine days then since Aizen's capture and the guy is already in the deepest chamber of prison in Seireitei's underground. Some of us immediately confronted him about it, but he merely chuckled saying we are weaklings and deserves not an answer from him."

Rukia bit her lower lip. She looked like she was on the verge of tears. "One more thing, Ichigo. Soutaichou is missing and nii-sama… nii-sama is considered by everyone as a traitor because he is together with the zanpakutou in the rebellion."

"What!?" Ichigo exclaimed in utter disbelief. "Byakuya? But that's impossible! That stuck up will never break away from the rules and start a rebellion! You know how Byakuya worships the law!"

Rukia glared at his insult before she answered. "Yes, we all thought that way too. But three nights ago, he and the others attacked Seireitei and he… he broke Sode no Shirayuki…"

Ichigo couldn't believe what he was hearing. But before he could ask some questions, he felt the familiar shudder running down his spines and he knew who was "smiling" at him right now. Both Rukia and Renji immediately gulped.

"What did I say, Abarai-fukutaichou? Kuchiki-san?" Unohana asked as she smiled at the two of them.

Renji gulped. "J-Just bring his food and don't make him worry." He then looked at Ichigo and grinned. "Don't worry, Ichigo. We'll be able to get passed this. By the way, Karin, Orihime, Chad, and Uryuu had already gotten back to the living world." Ichigo opened his mouth to say something but was interrupted by Rukia's question.

"She's your sister, isn't she? Karin, that is." Rukia asked. "I saw some of your photos in her house in Karakura Town. I couldn't believe it at first, but I'm pretty sure that's you when you're a child."

"She was here when you're unconscious by the way. She wanted to talk to you, you know. But you were sleeping the whole time and she still has to return to the living world to continue her life. Anyway, I'm sure you'll see her again some time soon. It's a small world, isn't it, Ichigo?" Renji smirked before the two of them left.

Ichigo was overcome with a deep sense of longing and nostalgia at Rukia's words. He couldn't remember much of his home and he was a little envious that Rukia was able to see it.

Unohana saw Ichigo's expression and sighed. "I told them not to make the patient worry, and now…"

Ichigo looked up at her. "Sorry, it's not their fault." He stood up. "Anyway, what do they mean by Zanpakutou rebellion?"

Unohana sighed before she answered. It seemed there was no way to prevent her patient from worrying anymore. "It means that the swords suddenly materializes and attacks their masters, not listening to any of their command."

"Much like what Zangetsu did when I came here before Rukia's execution." Ichigo shrugged before he froze and the two of them looked at one another. Ichigo was the first to speak. "Zangetsu also behaved that way back then!"

"But you can use him now, Kurosaki-san." Unohana felt like this might be the answer they were waiting for. "What did you do?"

"I fought him, of course. He wanted to fight me and I knew he was serious. So I fought him, and I defeated him. After that, he came back to normal. He told me that he heard a voice." Ichigo said before his eyes suddenly widened. "Oh, I was in that cave when it happened. First, I heard a voice. A male's voice, then Zangetsu started acting weird."

"I see." Unohana voiced, deep in thought.

"Is your zanpakutou fine, Unohana-taichou?" Ichigo asked.

"Yes, Minazuki had been in deep sleep when the Rebellion happened." Unohana said. "He had healed so many injured Shinigamis then and slept. It seemed he was pretty tired because of everything that had happened. But he's fully awake now and healing the patients of the last battle once more." Unohana's eyebrows furrowed before she smiled. "Anyway, you better rest more, Kurosaki-san. I'll tell them of your words to make them come up with a proper solution."

"But I feel fine now, Uno–,O-Of course, I'll be resting now!" He immediately took back his words when he saw the smile again. He shivered.

After that, he felt the pull of slumber once more. He slept for the rest of the afternoon and evening. It was pre-dawn when he woke up. He knew he heard something. It's what woke him up after all.

'_So you can hear me after all…' _Ichigo immediately sat up and looked around the room but found no one. He thought it might be a materialized zanpakutou, but he doubted that he couldn't see another's zanpakutou.

'_Ichigo, it's the voice that called out to me that last time.' _Zangetsu voiced inside his mind and Ichigo immediately remembered the voice as the one that he heard in the cave.

"Who are you?" Ichigo called again.

'_I go by the name Muramasa.' _The voice answered.

"Are you one of the zanpakutous rebelling against their Shinigami?" Ichigo asked as he removed himself from the cover and stood up. He opened the door of the room and went out quietly.

'_I'm the one who leads the rebellion.' _Muramasa answered after a while and Ichigo stopped in his tracks. He was already at the gate of the barracks.

His mind immediately reeled for something but all he could come out with was, "Why?" He knew that if someone saw him talking alone, they would think he hit his head pretty hard during his last battle.

'_You Shinigamis need to learn that zanpakutous are not merely tools that you use for fighting. Now, you will know how it feels to live without them.' _Just then, the presence of the voice disappeared. Ichigo immediately asked if Zangetsu was alright, but the zanpakutou said that since he already remembered the voice, he would not be fooled a second time. Ichigo smiled at that.

He stretched as he walked slowly on the road leading to his chichi's house. He had not been there for over a month now and he knew that memories of Juushirou would come flooding inside his mind the moment he entered the door. He knew it would rain heavily in his inner world and he knew that Shiro and Zangetsu wouldn't like it, but he knew he had to do this if he wanted to move on. He had not cried since Kaien's death and he didn't ever plan on crying now, at least not physically. He would let his inner world's rain serve as his tears.

He entered the house and he was not disappointed as he felt the remains of his chichi's reiatsu in everything. It's as if Juushirou had just been there. _And it hurt so much… knowing that that wouldn't be true anymore… that his chichi wouldn't ever return and ruffle his hair again. _He cleaned up some things and started to pack up Juushirou's things.

He sighed. He just woke up and now strange things were starting to happen again. He didn't even have time to mourn over his chichi's death. Seireitei was really a busy place to be in.

The sun was already up when he finished packing. He knew his inner world would be raining, maybe even having a storm, but a quiet one. He couldn't help it. He was grieving.

A knock came from the door and when he got it, Shunsui and Kenpachi grinned at him. _Ugh. _He arched an eyebrow at them but they didn't even seem to notice it as they passed by him like they were invited.

"So you packed his things away?" Shunsui turned to him when he noticed that there weren't much of Juushirou's personal belongings in the living room anymore.

"Yes. They will be choosing the next Captain of the 13th Squad soon. The house will be lived in again and I don't want Chichi's things to just be… you know… all over the place." Ichigo shrugged. If his two companions couldn't comprehend what he said, it was already their problem. But both Taichous nodded.

"How about we spar?" Kenpachi said as he grinned. Ichigo looked at him in disbelief. "What?"

"I just came out of the 4th Squad, Kenpachi." He answered, not even bothering to explain that he just snuck out of the place without Unohana's knowledge.

"Then how about a drink?" Shunsui asked as he slightly grinned. Ichigo felt sorry for the brunette because he knew Shunsui had just lost his drinking partner. Juushirou had probably been his drinking partner for many centuries now.

"Sorry, Shunsui-san. I don't drink." He wore an apologetic smile and Shunsui smiled in understanding. Ichigo knew that Shunsui missed Juushirou too. He could see it the older male's eyes, and he really treated Ichigo as his best friend's real son. That's probably the reason why he was asking for a drink with Ichigo of all Shinigami, but Ichigo couldn't succumb to alcohol. No, he mustn't succumb to alcohol.

"Tch. But you know, Ichigo, I didn't think you hold that much power in you." Kenpachi said as the two Captains sat down in a seiza in front of the low table in the living room. "If you'd shown that to me while we're sparring, you would've become not only my favorite sparring partner, but my one and only sparring partner." He grinned as he nodded to himself, too busy to see the look that both Ichigo and Shunsui gave him.

Ichigo offered them tea and the three of them sat in silence as they sipped the boiling tea that Ichigo had prepared. Ichigo knew that the two Taichous were trying to cheer him up, because not only did his parent died, but it seemed he had managed to inherit Juushirou's weak body now too. But hell, were these two trying to kill him?! He understood the cheering part, but to ask him to spar and drink was way too soon for his recovering body! _These two Taichous were really idiots! _

Then the brunette captain cleared his throat. "Zaraki-taichou, are you, by any chance, courting Ichigo?" The teen snorted. He doubted Kenpachi even knew what that meant. And he was not disappointed. The blank look that Kenpachi wore as he looked at his two companions was amusing.

"Never mind." Shunsui smirked. "Anyway, have you heard of the Zanpakutou Rebellion, Ichigo?"

Ichigo looked up from his tea and nodded. "Not in details though. I just learned that the one who started it was a zanpakutou."

"Yes," Shunsui answered as he sipped his tea. "A rogue zanpakutou by the name of Muramasa has started it. He has the power to enter our hearts, or our inner worlds so to speak, and turn our zanpakutous against us. Unohana-taichou told us in the meeting yesterday that your zanpakutou experienced the same 'brain-washing,' as we call it, but you still managed to get him back by fighting and defeating him." Ichigo nodded. "Well, the problem that we have now… is the fact these zanpakutous are nowhere to be found."

"Now you can see the advantage of not knowing your zanpakutou." Kenpachi said, looking all happy and proud. "I don't have to deal with anything of the sort." His two companions readily ignored his comment.

"Muramasa said that he started the rebellion because he wanted Shinigami to use zanpakutous not just as mere tools but companions." Ichigo said. "I think he meant that zanpakutou is not merely our power. They're beings that live inside our hearts. And thus, also need recognition from their masters." Kenpachi snorted at that.

"Muramasa said?" Shunsui's eyebrow furrowed. And Ichigo told him how he first heard the voice and how he heard it again earlier. The two Taichous looked thoughtful for a while before Shunsui spoke again. "Anything else, Ichigo?" The teen shook his head and Shunsui sighed. "Well, let's just hope it's not some sort of Aizen-like rebellion, part 2."

.

.tbc.

.

**Ren-sama's Note:**

**I plan on finishing the Zanpakutou Rebellion in just one chapter because I don't want any more fighting… (It's pretty hard and quite exhausting to write.) But I'm still not sure. Please review! ˆoˆ**

**After that will be the start of some ByaIchi moments.**


	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter 15**

They kept their reiatsu in check, not wanting the zanpakutous to be alerted of their presence. Ichigo, Kenpachi, Renji, and Shunsui shunpo'd towards the mouth of the cave where the zanpakutous were hiding.

Three days had already passed when Ichigo first woke up after Aizen's defeat. It was also already three days that Ichigo had to ignore the annoying gawks and worshipping eyes that many Shinigamis threw at him for being their 'HERO.' There were still those who were uncertain of his sanity and those who feared him, he was part-Hollow after all, but many almost grovel before his feet just for saving them. Ichigo always had to hold back the urge to roll his eyes. He never defeated Aizen because he wanted to save anyone. _He did it for Juushirou. _And yet, they still considered him the hero. Some low-ranked Shinigamis even had the audacity to approach him and ask for an autograph, which they saw celebrities did. When Ichigo asked what celebrities were, they said that those were the handsome men or pretty women that many people idolized in the living world. The teen couldn't understand why he was being compared to those celebrities when all he wanted was revenge.

Many unseated Shinigamis had gotten their zanpakutous back by now, though only a few high-ranking Shinigamis had their zanpakutous returned to them. Hell, they didn't even have the chance to fight their own zanpakutou because only the lower class ones appeared most of the time. Renji had the luck to see his own zanpakutou though and he had fought against Zabimaru yesterday. Zabimaru was also the one who told them of the zanpakutous' location after he returned to normal.

He told them that the soutaichou was also inside that cave, together with Byakuya Kuchiki, Muramasa, and the other Taichou and Fukutaichou-class zanpakutous.

Ichigo still couldn't believe that Byakuya would be on the other side. He now wondered what made the noble change sides like that. _Maybe because he wanted to side with Senbonzakura? _Or maybe not.

They all paused when they saw a beautiful woman wearing an elaborate kimono sitting on one of the rocks inside the cave. She had bones in her bun of violet hair and was looking at them amusedly. Beside her was a small expressionless girl with the same hair color but wore different clothing. She wore a skin-tight black suit that covered up to her nose underneath her kimono. She held two swords in both hands and was acting up as the woman's bodyguard.

"Katen Kyoukotsu." Shunsui voiced as he smiled. The woman snorted, an attitude so unlike her regal appearance, before the brunette Taichou turned to the others. "You go ahead. I'll handle this."

They all nodded and continued running until they reached the center of the cave. Soutaichou sat in the middle of a circle filled with binding spells. Byakuya stood beside the circle together with Senbonzakura and the other zanpakutous. A male stood on the other side.

"We meet at last, Ichigo Kurosaki." He voiced. And Ichigo immediately knew that he was Muramasa.

"Taichou!" Renji called out but Byakuya acted like he didn't hear Renji's voice, nor even saw them. Ichigo saw the pain in Renji's eyes and couldn't help but glare at Byakuya who looked at him as if they had never met before.

The orange-haired teen's eyes then turned to Muramasa, thoroughly disappointed in the noble and hurt by him siding with enemy. "Muramasa." He voiced. The zanpakutou had a brunette hair and light green eyes. He had thick eyeliner-like tattoos circling his eyes that it would look like he's wearing a Zorro mask.

"I want to see your power with my own eyes, Ichigo Kurosaki." Muramasa voiced before he vanished and appeared in front of Ichigo as he sliced the spot where the teen had been just a few seconds ago. Ichigo appeared in another spot only to be followed by Muramasa every time.

Kenpachi watched with slowly rising excitement until he could no longer contain it and immediately shunpo'd towards where Byakuya was. He fought against the noble with that manic grin of his which only managed to irk Byakuya even more. Renji had no choice but to fight/chase away the other zanpakutous, because he couldn't really fight them all-out. They witnessed what happened to a low-ranking officer's zanpakutou when it was beaten by someone else. The sword did not return to its master.

The zanpakutous had no choice but to leave, especially when the fight between Ichigo and Muramasa, and Byakuya and Kenpachi started to create quakes on the ground and ceiling of the cave because their overwhelming reiatsus were compressed in such a tight space. And they knew what that meant.

Shunsui came just right on time, carrying his sword. It appeared that he was able to win against his zanpakutou in a game that no one would even want to play.

Even before Ichigo and Kenpachi, or even Renji, could know what was going on, however, a sudden explosion immediately erupted throughout the center of the cave and a huge flame engulfed everything, turning the cave into a crater. The fire created a spiral and encircled them all, trapping them inside the cave.

Soutaichou's eyes opened and Muramasa smirked. "I knew I can count on you, Ichigo Kurosaki. And also you, Kenpachi Zaraki." The two looked at him. "Genryuusai Yamamoto had been bound by Inemuri, making him sleep. But your reiatsus have woken him up."

"What do you mean by that? And why do you look so happy?" Renji asked.

"Because I used a bakudo on myself, making me sleep so that Ryuujinjakka will not be involved in the rebellion." Yamamoto was the one who answered their questions. "My zanpakutou is now on rebellion as well." That statement made both Shunsui and Renji gulped. After all, Ryuujinjakka was considered the oldest and most powerful fire zanpakutou in Soul Society. Kenpachi didn't appear threatened at all by that fact and Ichigo, being too young, simply didn't know what Ryuujinjakka's rebellion would mean.

Muramasa held in his hand what appeared to be something like, Ichigo's eyes widened, the Hogyouku. "Thanks to the fact that you woke up, I am able to obtain this stone. The stone that will help resurrect _him_." It seemed Yamamoto sealed the Hogyouku in his inner world where Ryuujinjakka was the sole guard. But since the zanpakutou had already rebelled, it was already fairly easy for Muramasa to obtain the said stone. And after that, both he and Byakuya shunpo'd away as Ryuujinjakka made a way for them, leaving Ichigo and the others trapped.

"Sorry, Yama-jii. We originally thought that you're kidnapped by them so we came here to rescue you, and also bring an end to their rebellion." Shunsui sighed as they watched the old man's sword engulf everything in fire again. "But I guess things will not be that easy."

"We need to go after them though." Ichigo said after a while. The fire was hot and they were already sweating profusely.

"Before that, you need to hear a hundred year old story." Yamamoto voiced in his old but powerful tone. And he started his narration.

It was about a Shinigami by the name of Koga Kuchiki, the one who wielded Muramasa. Koga was both feared and respected because of his power. He wanted recognition from everyone and did everything to get stronger. When he became stronger, however, he used his zanpakutou for granted and became arrogant, making other Taichous fear him. After that, he was framed as a treasonous murderer by three Taichous and was imprisoned. Ginrei Kuchiki, the head of the Kuchiki clan at the time and also Byakuya Kuchiki's grandfather, defended him from the charges. Muramasa was so happy when his master was proven innocent. The zanpakutou wished a new life for his master, but Koga was so humiliated and enraged when he was framed that he sought out the three Taichous who framed him and killed them. But he didn't stop at that. He continued killing many other Shinigamis because he thought that all of them betrayed him. In the end, Yamamoto and Ginrei had to seal him away in a separate dimension because of his madness and crimes.

"So the real reason for the rebellion is not really for the better treatment of the zanpakutou, but to remove Koga Kuchiki's seal, right?" Shunsui asked and Yamamoto nodded. "So in the end, he's the one who used the zanpakutous as tools for his own advantage."

"So the reason Byakuya is siding with Muramasa is because they both want to remove Koga's seal?" Ichigo asked seriously. After all, Koga was Byakuya's family. _Not that Byakuya had cared about family members before as far as he knew._

"Yes." Yamamoto said. "Although they have different reasons as to why they want to remove Koga Kuchiki's seal." Ichigo blinked at that.

"So, how are we going to leave here?" Kenpachi asked, obviously on the edge because his fight with Byakuya was interrupted.

"Only one will be able to come out for now." Yamamoto said. "We will need to combine all our reiatsus to be able to get out of here. And that someone must be able to either defeat Muramasa or Koga, or both, once the seal is broken."

"I'm sure Ichigo can do it." Shunsui said playfully and Ichigo scowled at him.

"Why can't I do it?" Kenpachi asked.

"Because you'll ruin everything with your brash attitude." Shunsui answered. "And Yama-jii is the only one who can put a stop to Ryuujinjakka so he's out of the question. Abarai-fukutaichou is no match with Koga and Muramasa together. Not to mention Kuchiki-taichou will be there as well. As for me… I still have a date with Nanao-chan after this so I'm out too!" Everyone glared at him and he chuckled nervously. One Kenpachi Zaraki was enough of a headache, combined with Ichigo, Renji, and Yamamoto, it would be suicide.

All of them, except the orange-haired teen, used their remaining reiatsus to create a path for Ichigo to leave from and he immediately shunpo'd to the direction where he could feel Muramasa and Byakuya were. He could also feel several reiatsus all over Seireitei. It seemed the zanpakutous' owners were fighting against their own swords now. He used a combined sonido and shunpo that Rojurou and Rabu taught him and he found out that he was way faster using it. He arrived just in time as Muramasa opened a gate that looked like a senkai though a bit different, leading to the dimension where Koga was sealed. The two entered and the gate immediately closed after Ichigo entered.

They all appeared in the middle of a clearing surrounded by trees that appeared a little eerie because of the moonlight. In the middle of the clearing was a lake with water that seemed to gleam under the light of the moon.

"What are you doing here, Ichigo Kurosaki?" Byakuya turned to him just as he drew out his sword. Ichigo's eyes narrowed as he drew out his sword too.

"You better take care of him while I do the incantation for master's revival." Muramasa said. "I don't want to be interrupted."

"Of course." Byakuya answered, eyes not leaving Ichigo.

Ichigo gazed at steel gray eyes that were still as cold as ever and face that still held a mask so firmly. Byakuya's raven hair looked even silkier under the moonlight. His pale complexion looked paler as well, the total opposite of his hair and Shinigami uniform. He stood stoically in between Muramasa and Ichigo and had his sword out.

Ichigo's eyes darted behind Byakuya and saw that a coffin emerged from the water and his eyes turned narrow. He was sure that this Koga Kuchiki had the right to be angry to the people who framed him. Hell, even Ichigo could relate to the part of wanting to kill those who made his life miserable. But for him to go to a killing spree so selfishly was something Ichigo couldn't forgive. Koga wasn't the only person with a problem.

"Chire, Senbonzakura." Byakuya's cool, guttural voice snapped Ichigo out of his musings and made him look at the older man again. Thousands of cherry blossom petals surrounded the night air and Ichigo could smell the strong but sweet fragrance of the flowers in the midst of the scent of grasses, water, and trees. "It seems we are up against one another again, boy."

"It seems so." Ichigo said as he locked his gaze on Byakuya's who was looking at him with equal intensity. He knew that Muramasa had started to utter the incantations while holding out the hogyouku that could make the process of resurrection faster.

Byakuya could see that Ichigo wanted so much to stop Muramasa from incanting spells for the resurrection of his master. Those chocolate eyes that gleamed in the darkness of the night were looking at him with silent curiosity, anger, and disbelief. The boy's tanned skin looked relatively pale under the moonlight and his bright orange hair looked darker. A breeze made his fringes cover some part of his face and Byakuya watched as the tip of the teen's hair brushed the skin of his face gently.

And without a word, he shunpo'd and attacked Ichigo, guiding his petals to corner the younger male. "You looked down upon me the last time we fought, boy." He said as Ichigo blocked his incessant attacks with Zangetsu. "I will not let you belittle me again."

Ichigo could feel Byakuya's warm breath on his face because of their close proximity, with only petals and sword in between, and he fought back a shudder. He had a more important problem than that. He struggled to maintain his balance. The grasses had dews and his waraji was sliding on their dampness. "I never belittled you, Byakuya. I never intended to really show anyone that side of my power. It just so happened that I had no choice when I fought Aizen."

Byakuya could feel and inhale Ichigo's breath from up so close as they clashed their swords but he didn't dare let his guard down just because of a sudden warm sensation on his stomach.

"It doesn't change the fact that you didn't use your full power when you defeated me." Byakuya's voice turned colder. "I have my pride, Ichigo Kurosaki. I won't allow you to humiliate me by belittling me again." Ichigo sighed softly and Byakuya's eyebrow twitched when the soft breath made a shiver run down his spine.

The serene environment suddenly changed as an immensely dark and corrupted reiatsu covered everything within sight. The intensity was enough to make any normal Shinigami kneel on their knees and Byakuya was glad that he was covering Ichigo's smaller body with his own from Koga's sickening reiatsu, though he would never admit it. The two of them stopped their half-hearted sword exchange and looked behind the raven where the Shinigami had woken up.

Koga had short dark hair and eyes. And he looked like a zombie reborn because of his pale and yet dark skin that dead people had. He had a muscular built but the skin on his face was wrinkled from old age and his bones showed from under the skin in some places. Nevertheless, he appeared strong and brawny.

Muramasa looked ecstatic to see his master again. "Master!" He greeted happily, only to earn a huge, deep gash. When Koga saw him, the Shinigami immediately cut him using his sword. "Master..?"

"You traitor!" Koga shouted in a booming voice. "I called for you! But you never came! You sided with them, didn't you!? Get lost, you traitor!" Muramasa looked at a lost as to what Koga meant and that only infuriated Koga even more. Koga was about to receive another attack but Ichigo swiftly intercepted the attack by using his combined sonido and shunpo.

Byakuya's eyes widened when he saw how Ichigo moved. It seemed the boy always had something up his sleeves that could surprise the noble. "Ichigo Kurosaki, leave him to me. I am the current and the 28th Head of the Kuchiki Clan. And it is my duty to end his pitiful existence as a member of Kuchiki."

And Ichigo slowly understood. Byakuya was not really on Muramasa's side. He was simply upholding the family honor. And by being with Muramasa, he would be able to go and defeat Koga as the head of the family. Somehow, that fact made him feel happy inside.

"Kenseikan and the scarf of the Head of the family." Koga's eyes narrowed. "So you really are the head of the family right now." He shunpo'd away from Ichigo and into the other side of the clearing.

Muramasa didn't know what to do. He wanted to protect his master so much, and yet even now, he still couldn't hear Koga's voice.

Byakuya shunpo'd to where Koga was and the two started their battle. It was so intense that Ichigo didn't even dare interrupt them.

'_Why can't I hear your voice, Master..?' _Ichigo turned to Muramasa when he heard the zanpakutou's voice. He shunpo'd over to the zanpakutou who was obviously suffering and in pain right now, both physically and emotionally.

"Muramasa." Ichigo called. "So it's because you can't hear his voice that he thought you're a traitor." Muramasa, who was currently kneeling on the ground, looked up at him. From behind them, the two Kuchikis were in the midst of their heated fight. Koga was ridiculously strong even without his zanpakutou, and even Byakuya was having a hard time.

Muramasa looked at Ichigo in surprise for a while before recognition dawned on him. "You can hear me, of course."

"Let me heal your wounds." Ichigo was about to touch him but Muramasa slapped his hand away and shunpo'd towards his master. Ichigo watched sadly as Koga didn't even acknowledge the plea in Muramasa's voice, but the zanpakutou still fought together with him. Byakuya, who was already having a hard time with Koga alone, was now starting to lose. And Ichigo didn't even blink twice before he shunpo'd towards them and fought against Muramasa.

"Your help is not needed." Byakuya voiced when the teen thwarted an attack from Muramasa that was supposed to land directly on Byakuya.

"Your welcome, Byakuya." Ichigo said sarcastically as he pushed Muramasa back using his strength. The zanpakutou who had been asleep for almost a hundred year now and contained a deep wound on his torso had no more strength left.

Muramasa felt like he was all alone, fighting Ichigo. He couldn't hear his master's call at all. "He's not worthy of you, Muramasa." Ichigo said as he clashed his sword against the zanpakutou's again. "Though I have no right to say that because I feel that I'm not worthy of Zangetsu and Shiro either." He smiled.

Muramasa felt deep awe when he saw Ichigo smiled at him. Koga used to smile at him like that in the beginning too. But when the Shinigami became stronger, he had forgotten his kindness to his zanpakutou. And now, a total stranger was the one who could hear him, the one who'd smile at him like that, despite the fact that he's an enemy.

Ichigo stopped as well when Muramasa stopped. He watched the contentment in Muramasa's eyes before the zanpakutou fell on his side to the lake, though the teen was fast enough to catch him before he fell but wasn't careful enough to watch where he was stepping. Both of them fell to the lake and Muramasa let himself sink under the water. If his master didn't need him anymore, then he had no right to live. If his master thought that way, then so be it.

Koga, Byakuya observed, was the type to start a fight using his full power to intimidate the enemy, full of arrogant strength and power, and then would resort to using Muramasa's ability in case he was starting to lose. And that was the case now. Koga's power was starting to diminish and he called Muramasa.

But the zanpakutou was currently fighting with Ichigo and could not even hear his voice. The raven saw Ichigo and Muramasa fell to the lake and Byakuya's breathe hitch for some unknown reason. He turned to Koga's bloodied form and watch in utter annoyance as the guy tried to call for Muramasa again.

"Muramasa! Muramasa! You traitor!" He shouted on the lake. "Come forth, now! How dare you betray me again!"

"You sicken me." Byakuya said and he earned a Kuchiki glare from Koga. "A man as lowly as you does not have the right to carry the Kuchiki name."

Muramasa closed his eyes, already prepared to embrace death. He gasped and opened his eyes again, however, when instead of death, warmth embraced him, and tightly. He looked at Ichigo for a while before he remembered to struggle against the hold, even though he wanted to just succumb to the warmth. But he knew he shouldn't, because it would be like betraying Koga.

Ichigo's grip tightened when Muramasa started struggling against him. He would have let the zanpakutou on his own if he could not hear Muramasa's true wish. He wished his master would give him another chance. _Muramasa, inside, didn't wish to die…_

Ichigo resurfaced just as Koga fell on the other side of the lake. He sighed as Muramasa floated beside him. The zanpakutou saw the death of his master and he felt his whole existence lose its meaning. He wanted to help his master so much, but he couldn't even gather enough strength to swim away from Ichigo's hold. "I told you I'll heal you." The teen lifted the zanpakutou to the ground and laid him on his back.

Muramasa gazed at chocolate eyes above him that were so intent on using a healing kidou on him. He knew that Ichigo sucked at it just from the way his reiatsu kept fluctuating, telling the zanpakutou that it might even be the first time he would use it. And he was awed that Ichigo would waste his time just to treat a nobody like _him_. Ichigo's eyes were dark and cold, and distant, when far away. But now that he saw it so close, he found out that the teen's eyes were warm, though sad and pained.

Ichigo cursed under his breath when he saw the extent of Muramasa's wound. He now wished he listened more on Kaien's lesson about healing kidou and did not try to run away every time the older male was looking somewhere else.

He looked at Muramasa when a cold hand touched his cheek. "You don't have to heal me, Ichigo. My master is dead. There is no place for me here anymore."

The pain in Ichigo's eyes almost choked Muramasa in their intensity. Those chocolate orbs' gaze held so much grief and he felt like a really worthless zanpakutou for bringing such sadness on the teen.

"Let me heal him." Ichigo looked up at Byakuya who appeared beside him. "I'm more skilled at healing kidou than you are." He nodded before he let Byakuya sat beside him and started to heal Muramasa by placing his palms close to the wound and releasing warm green colored reiatsu. Ichigo watched as the older male let his reiatsu heal Muramasa's wounds. And he knew his respect for Byakuya had grown once again. _The man was not as heartless and apathetic as Ichigo originally thought._

"Why are you healing me?" Muramasa asked, though the question was addressed to Ichigo rather than to Byakuya. "I told you, I don't have any purpose anymore. Now that my master has died…"

"Don't you want to be a free zanpakutou?" Ichigo asked innocently, and Muramasa almost chuckled, almost.

"Ichigo Kurosaki, it seems you don't understand the extent of Soul Society's rules." Byakuya said. "Rogue zanpakutous are to be sealed away immediately to not cause any problem."

Ichigo's eyes widened. "Don't tell me you're going to seal him away, Byakuya."

Byakuya didn't have to look at Ichigo to see the pain and the grief in the other's eyes. He could feel it in Ichigo's quiet, barely readable reiatsu. He continued healing the zanpakutou but didn't answer.

"Byakuya!" Ichigo insisted.

"Haven't I told you not to call me so familiarly, boy?" His voice turned colder.

Muramasa looked at the two Shinigamis before he looked at Ichigo. What he was thinking would be impossible. Ichigo might be a very kind person but he was not so kind as to let Muramasa…

Ichigo was thinking of something, though he didn't know if it would work. Actually, he feared that it would backfire against him. He watched as Byakuya finished the treatment and sat up straighter.

"Now, Ichigo Kurosaki, what will you do?" The raven noble asked as he looked at chocolate eyes.

Ichigo bit the inside of his lower lip. He didn't know if his plan would work or if it would make him an exile. But he did know that it would save Muramasa. _But the zanpakutou loved his master so much… _

'_**It's okay, King.' **_Shiro grinned.

'_I just hope you won't regret your decision.' _Zangetsu voiced. _'Remember, comes with great power a great responsibility.'_

"_I know, but is it alright with you two?" _Ichigo asked his inner spirits.

'_**The question is not if it's alright with us, King.' **_Shiro said. _**'It'll be, is it alright with Muramasa, and everybody else for that matter.'**_

He looked at Muramasa for a while before he spoke. "I… I mean, you…" He exhaled. "You can live in my inner world, but only if you want." Muramasa's eyes widened as he gazed at the teen, and Ichigo knew that Byakuya had the same expression even without glancing at the noble.

"Ichigo Kurosaki, it will bring you a lot of trouble." Byakuya said coolly.

Ichigo sighed as he looked at Byakuya. "Can you please not call me by my whole name? Call me Kurosaki or Ichigo, but not Ichigo Kurosaki. It gives me goose bumps." Byakuya blinked at him and he ignored the noble and looked at Muramasa.

"Byakuya Kuchiki is right. You'll only get yourself in trouble if you let me inside your inner world." Muramasa said. As much as he wanted to see Ichigo's inner world, he knew that it'd be a problem for the teen. He'd been an enough problem for Soul Society. And if Ichigo were to protect him from others, Muramasa wasn't sure what it would do to Ichigo.

Ichigo could feel that Muramasa was saying it for him and not for himself. "And you think I will not be in trouble if I let you roam free and then they seal you away and then I might go against everyone because I think that you deserve to be free?"

Byakuya's eyebrow twitched. He learned from Rukia that Karin was Ichigo's younger sister. And if they were really blood-related, then it wasn't impossible to think that Ichigo would go and rescue a zanpakutou even if he had to make an enemy of the whole Gotei 13, just like how Karin made an enemy of them just to rescue Rukia. And with Ichigo's strength, Byakuya doubted any of them could stop the teen, except perhaps the soutaichou.

Muramasa thought about it for a while. Or at least, he tried to think about it for a while. From the start, it had been the same idea that he had thought of. But when Byakuya spoke of the possible consequences, he immediately doubted if he would still want to be with Ichigo. He looked at chocolate orbs again and he knew he couldn't take it if Ichigo was punished just because of him. The teen had been so kind to him.

"Muramasa, I think we don't have a whole day." Ichigo arched an eyebrow as he waited for the zanpakutou's answer.

"Don't make me be haste in my decision." Muramasa's eyebrows furrowed. He wasn't in much pain anymore and he found out that it would be better if he sat. And he did. He closed his eyes and knew that a connection was formed between him and the teen the moment he felt the teen's reiatsu in the cave where his sword form had been buried for a century. Ichigo had been able to hear him from the moment he first talked to the boy, and now, that same boy had somehow managed to dig him up from the suffocating loneliness and pain that he had buried himself in. Though he still loved his master, he knew that a new opportunity was being given to him, to live again and live well.

He gulped as he opened his eyes again. Ichigo was still watching him. "Alright." He smiled a tad. "I'll probably follow you around anyway because I have no more connection to my master." Ichigo blinked. "You won't like it, being constantly stalked by a rogue zanpakutou." And he immediately vanished, just as a sword appeared in his place.

Ichigo closed his eyes and when he opened them again, he was already in his inner world. Or at least he thought it was his inner world. _Then what was an ocean doing here? _The buildings were still there, horizontal and everything, but now, there was a clear sky and clouds. And there were stones in between the buildings and not far from where he was, there's an ocean looking so blue and serene.

'_Ichigo,' _He turned around and saw Muramasa standing on one of the buildings. The teen smiled at the zanpakutou.

"Do you like it here?" He asked, and he immediately felt relief when Muramasa nodded. "Though there is someone who likes to fight day and night."

'_**Did you call for me, King?' **_Shiro appeared just beside the teen and startled Muramasa.

'_Don't worry, he might look like he will eat souls but he's actually harmless, I think.' _Zangetsu appeared on Ichigo's other side.

'_You have… a Hollow inside you.' _Muramasa voiced, but he immediately added some few words when he saw Ichigo's hurt expression. It seemed the teen thought that Muramasa disliked the place now. _"I like it here, even if there's a Hollow. Actually, it's good that there are three of us here." _He assured Ichigo. It seemed it worked well because Ichigo's stiff shoulder relaxed.

"This is Hichigo Shirosaki, by the way. My other part." Ichigo voiced as he introduced them. "And this is Zangetsu, my zanpakutou."

'_Nice to meet you.' _Muramasa smiled at the two of them before he turned to Ichigo. _'Thank you for letting me live here.'_

"Nah, it's fine." Ichigo shrugged. "It's way too big for just two spirits anyway."

'_**Just so you know, I can occupy it all if I want to.' **_Shiro said as he smirked.

"Yeah, yeah. Convince yourself." Ichigo waved before he looked at the three of them. "I hope you three get along." And then he looked at Shiro and narrowed his eyes. "Don't get too excited there. Don't go fighting Muramasa." Shiro merely snorted in answer.

He closed his eyes and when he opened them again, Byakuya was already standing far away, readying for the exit. Ichigo took the sword counterpart of Muramasa and put it on his back together with Zangetsu.

Byakuya, a little earlier, watched as Ichigo meditated and went to his inner world. The teen had a relaxed expression and his normal scowl was not present. It was a… _nice _expression, to say the least. And he immediately shunpo'd away when he felt that Ichigo was about to open his eyes. He cursed inwardly, not used to doing it aloud, because he felt like a child wanting to hide from his parent because he had done wrong. _But there was nothing wrong in saying that Ichigo looked better without the normal scowl, right? _He immediately shuddered inwardly at the thought.

The noble opened a Senkai gate on the way back and Ichigo followed in silence. They didn't talk on their way back, but it wasn't an uncomfortable silence. They were both not the type to babble and they both hated blabbering endlessly. Though Ichigo was used to have people blabbering endlessly, he was not that type of person. He had lived in isolation for sixteen years now and only had a little number of friends before he went to Seireitei.

Byakuya glanced sideways at Ichigo and saw, to his amazement, that the teen measure only up to the raven's neck. He thought Ichigo was taller than that. _Well, he appeared taller in battle. _Then the noble's eyes darted at the sword behind Ichigo, and he knew that it once again made Ichigo stronger without the teen knowing. Ichigo might think that Muramasa would only live in his inner world, but it meant that all of his power would also be Ichigo's. And the moment the two of them agreed that Muramasa should live inside Ichigo, they already formed a contract.

The noble sighed inwardly as the teen became even more troublesome than he already was.

.

.tbc.

.

**Ren-sama's Note:**

**I so like Muramasa. It's a pity he died in the anime. It would have been better if Ichigo acquired him. Please review!**

**Yeah, still not enough ByaIchi moments. But still, it's getting there, right? (Or so I hope.)**


	16. Chapter 16

**Ren-sama's Note:**

**For those who have questions:**

**~~Ichigo is not cold-hearted here. And he certainly didn't get over the deaths of everyone so quickly. The storyline is just fast-paced that's why it's not too obvious that he's grieved them. Not to mention that there are many people who are making him stand up again. And I also don't want to dwell too much on his grieving since the fict will become too angsty even for me. I hope you understand. ˆoˆ**

**~~Orihime and Ichigo don't know each other. Not to mention that Karin never really went back to Soul Society after saving Rukia and merely stayed in the living world so there's no chance for Ichigo and Orihime to meet (Karin didn't become a Substitude Shinigami since it was Ichigo who saved everyone in the end and not her). That also means that Soul Society is not close to Karin and company, and thus, will not let them just help in any matters in Seireitei – meaning Orihime healing Ichigo is a far-fetched idea.**

**~~And don't worry. Since the story is a fast-paced one, the ByaIchi will definitely happen in the span of this story. It is not impossible.**

**~~The other questions will be answered in the chapters ahead and I don't want to spoil any of it. I hope those three above managed to clear some things with everyone. ˆoˆ**

**.**

**Chapter 16**

The Senkai Gate opened before them and the two males went out into the night. There were still several traces of reiatsus here and there, but no one was fighting anymore. It seemed the Shinigamis had finally gotten their zanpakutous back.

'_I'm ashamed of myself.' _Ichigo heard Muramasa's voice inside his head. _'I should apologize to everyone… though I don't think they will ever forgive me for using them.'_

"_We won't know until we try." _Ichigo simply voiced inside his head before he and Byakuya started to walk.

Just then, many reiatsus came approaching and Ichigo stopped in his tracks when he recognized the other Shinigamis' reiatsus. Byakuya stopped beside him and they quietly waited for the owner of those reiatsus to appear. The owners immediately did after some more seconds. The other Taichous and Fukutaichous appeared before them and their haori and Shihakusho fluttered behind them when they suddenly stopped.

"Byakuya Kuchiki and Ichigo Kurosaki," Soi Fon stepped forward. "The Soutaichou is awaiting your report."

Renji and Rukia immediately followed and padded towards Ichigo. All of them were still beware of Byakuya who appeared unfazed by all the gawks and stares.

Ichigo stepped forward and everyone's attention turned to him. "Everyone, I am here in place of Muramasa, who apologizes for his wrongdoings. He doesn't need your forgiveness, all he needs is for you to hear his apology." He bowed quickly in apology before he straightened up again. The others were about to argue and complain, and most likely ask why he was doing it for a rogue zanpakutou, but Ichigo's expression remained unreadable.

"Ichigo Kurosaki, I believe that chatter will have to wait." Byakuya voiced coolly when the others started asking questions. "The Soutaichou is waiting."

"Yeah, I know." Ichigo said before he waved his goodbye to the others.

Ikkaku narrowed his eyes. "Why is there another zanpakutou on Ichigo's back?" Renji and the others also saw that but they decided that questioning Ichigo would have to wait later. Only Rukia realized it. The reason why Ichigo apologized on behalf of Muramasa was because the teen was now Muramasa's master. _It seemed the others would either respect him more or fear him more._

**. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .**

Ichigo paced back and forth as he waited for his turn. After a while, the door opened and Byakuya walked out with elegance and grace befitting for a noble like him. Ichigo watched as the other man passed him without uttering a word, though dipping his head a little, and disappeared into a corner before the teen entered and closed the door behind him.

He had been inside the soutaichou's office once, back when Juushirou was still alive. And now that he thought about it, it felt like a long time ago when that happened. His life still wasn't as complicated, and wasn't as agonizing. He let out a long sigh before he walked over to Yamamoto's table. Chojirou Sakakibe stood behind the soutaichou like a bodyguard just like the last time.

"Before we start, I want to confirm where your allegiance lies." Yamamoto started. "Aizen said that you know who he is. But you never told anyone about it."

Ichigo's eyes hardened. "My allegiance is with the comrades of my father." He sighed before he continued. "I haven't told anyone because I believed that you see Aizen as someone so kind and exemplary in everything he did. It's my words, a child who grew up in Rukongai, against his, one of the Gotei 13 Taichous. And besides, I have no evidence to prove my testimony. It will only create ruckus." Yamamoto looked thoughtful for a while before he nodded. Ichigo fiddled with his hakama. "And… actually, I told someone." Yamamoto arched an eyebrow. "Eh, Kenpachi… But he told me not to tell anyone else because it will be trouble."

Yamamoto's eyebrow arched higher at that. Chojirou wanted to blurt out some outrageous things but chose to stay silent as he sighed. _Of all people to tell, why did the kid have to tell Zaraki-taichou?_

"Why Zaraki-taichou?" Yamamoto was the one who voiced the question.

"Well," Ichigo scratched the back of his head. "Because I trust that Kenpachi will not tell the others. Actually, there's also Renji but I don't want him to get involved in case it's something big. Kenpachi can take care of himself and has the ability to act like nothing is wrong, like he doesn't know anything. Renji would have surely felt uncomfortable around Aizen if I told him, and the Taichou would have suspected something."

Both Chojirou and Yamamoto nodded. "Anyway, Kuchiki-taichou told me of your little stunt." Yamamoto said. "I believe that I cannot have Muramasa, who has been a trouble for a while, be handed over to you. We do not know if he will once again try to create such a chaos in Seireitei. He needs to be sealed away."

Ichigo straightened as he clenched his fist. "I believe that Muramasa deeply regretted using the other zanpakutous for his own benefits. He only did what he thinks is necessary to have his master freed. He lives in my inner world now and I believe that he will never cause any ruckus again."

Yamamoto's eyes narrowed. "What made you think so, akambo?" And he let out a little of his reiatsu for intimidation, which unsurprisingly didn't work at all on Ichigo.

"…Because I can hear his voice." He answered plain and simple as he stared in Yamamoto's eyes.

"Is that so?" The soutaichou asked. He knew from Ichigo's eyes that the teen wouldn't waver from his decision. And as such, he could make use of it. His eyes gleamed as he spoke. "Very well then. I'll allow you to have Koga Kuchiki's zanpakutou as its second master, but in two conditions."

Ichigo thought about that for a while. He felt that he might already know one of those conditions. "Please let me hear it."

Yamamoto nodded. "First is the fact that you will take all the responsibility for Muramasa's actions from now on. If he ever does something like this again, I expect you to be the one to chase after him and seal him for good." Ichigo was about to react but Yamamoto didn't let him. "And second, you will be part of Gotei 13 so we can watch over you and the zanpakutou."

Ichigo opened his mouth as if to say something, but he only let out a sigh in the end. "So I'll be an unseated officer? Yama-jii, I don't have to attend the Shinigami Academy, right? You know how I hate that."

"No and no." Yamamoto could feel his amusement over Ichigo's innocence and truthfulness. The teen blinked at him, and he continued. "No, you will not attend the Academy since I deemed you knowledgeable enough of the arts and all the things they teach there. You have had Kaien Shiba to teach you for eight years after all." Ichigo's eyes widened at that. It seemed the boy didn't know that everything that happened in Shinigami lives was reported to the soutaichou. "And no, you will not be unseated officer."

Ichigo's eyes narrowed at that. "What do you mean?"

"I'm sure you've already guessed what I mean, akambo." The corner of Yamamoto's lips twitched when he saw Ichigo scowl at his nickname. "You will replace one of the Taichous' vacated positions."

Ichigo knew that it was coming, but he couldn't help but gape. "B-But Soutaichou, you know I can't! I'm young and that's a lot of responsibility!" He flailed his hands wildly as if to make his point.

Yamamoto arched an eyebrow at that. "Comes with great power a great responsibility, Akambo." Ichigo scowled again. Zangetsu always kept on saying that to him. Maybe Zangetsu was a seer, one who could see the future. And he was always saying that statement to refer to this instant.

'_No, Ichigo, I'm not a seer.' _Zangetsu voiced inside his head. Ichigo's scowl deepened when he heard Shiro snickered at the background. Even Muramasa was laughing at him. _Great, now there were three spirits who would laugh at his idiotic ideas. _

"Well?" Yamamoto asked when Ichigo looked like he was having a second thought. The old man knew that Ichigo wouldn't let Muramasa get sealed so he used it to make Ichigo join the Gotei 13. It's not a matter of watching over the infant and the new zanpakutou. It's always a matter of practicality. Ichigo was strong, and he was now stronger with his two zanpakutous, and he was needed in Gotei 13 where Shinigamis were short of number.

Ichigo sighed. Well, he might as well do this. He looked at Yamamoto straightly again. "Well, if I have to be a Captain instead of a mere unseated officer, I'll have a condition too. Two of them, actually."

Yamamoto let the corner of his lips twitched again. The boy was more cunning than he looked. "Let's hear it."

"The first is the complete elimination of the charges against Kisuke Urahara. We all know that he wasn't the one who did the Hollowfication experiment but Aizen. He was framed for a crime that he did not commit, just like me." Ichigo voiced steadily and calmly, as if giving a report. "And second, that the rest of the Vizards can return here once more as Shinigamis. They have been experimented on by Aizen and it's not just and fair to exile them because of their new power. I'm a Vizard too, as you all know, but I am allowed to be a Captain."

Yamamoto thought about it for a while, or at least it looked like it to Ichigo because the man was not answering to his conditions at all. Hell, the soutaichou wasn't even batting an eyelid.

"Why?" Yamamoto finally asked after a while. Ichigo blinked at him, confused at his question. "Why would you care about them? They have been exiled by Soul Society at least a century before you were even born."

Ichigo exhaled softly. "Because if it wasn't for them, I'd still be stuck in the living world, mourning over the lost of chichi and the weaknesses that I have. And Aizen would have completed his plan. Shinji and the others trained me and told me that I am their comrade, and that they will always be there if I ever need them. They were the ones who helped me achieve both Bankai and my Hollow powers. And hat and clogs," Yamamoto arched an eyebrow. "I mean, Urahara-san was the one who helped me get back here again. Urahara-san was the one who helped save the Vizards from becoming Hollows and thus he is also the Vizards' comrade."

Yamamoto nodded.

"Though the second condition… It's only applicable if they even want to return here once more." Ichigo added quietly. "After all, their fellow Shinigamis abandoned them and even now they still harbor hatred for Seireitei."

Yamamoto nodded again. "Yes, that will be a problem."

"So, do we have a deal then?" Ichigo looked hopeful.

Yamamoto nodded again before he added. "Tell Shinji Hirako that he can have his former position as the 5th Division Taichou back if he agrees." He said. "And you, akambo, will be the 13th Division Taichou."

Ichigo's face darkened, not because he hated the position but because it would always remind him of his chichi. "Um, doesn't being a Taichou require at least six Taichous' recommendation and three other Taichous' approval?" He asked. "I can understand Shinji's case, because he has already been a Taichou before. But I'm new."

Yamamoto nodded again. "Yes, actually, I talked to the Taichous one by one. Eight Taichous recommended and approved of you to be the 13th Division Taichou. Minus the three traitors and Ukitake-taichou, only one Taichou didn't approve that you should be in that position. Care to guess who that is?"

Ichigo's eyes narrowed. He felt that Yamamoto was messing with him. Of course, Yamamoto would be out of the question because he was the one who wanted Ichigo to join Gotei 13 in the first place. His first assumption would be Byakuya. The older man had always been cold and harsh in his words and actions towards the teen, showing Ichigo the noble's dislike for him explicitly. But then Soi Fon also didn't like him much, and he hadn't spoken yet to Komamura or Kurotsuchi even though they knew one another. He shook his head. Yamamoto was definitely messing with him!

"Uh… who..?" He asked as he gulped.

"Kurotsuchi-taichou." Yamamoto answered. He continued when he saw Ichigo's inquiring look. "Because it is forbidden to perform any experiment on a high-ranking Shinigami." Ichigo's eyes widened at the implication of that before he shivered. He would definitely not go anywhere near the 12th Division. "He believes that you will be a great research experiment because you are born a Vizard and not made as one. He begged me for it the whole week that you were unconscious too. Only Unohana-taichou was able to make him stay away from the 4th Division barracks."

"You didn't approve, right?" Ichigo asked, unsure. He didn't want to come out of the 1st Division Office with Kurotsuchi tailing him.

"I made you a Taichou, right?" Yamamoto arched an eyebrow at the question.

"That's nice." Ichigo nodded as he sighed in relief. "I think I'm starting to like the position more." Yamamoto agreed.

He went out of the office after that and immediately went to his house. He felt happier that he could once again display Juushirou's things. Normally, one would put those things away. But Ichigo felt that he didn't want to lose sight of the familiar things that Juushirou owned. He immediately took Juushirou's things out of the boxes and put them back to where they were before.

**. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .**

He let out a long and heavy sigh before he opened the door. All heads turned to his direction and some of the Taichous grinned when they saw him. He kept his gaze in front, however, lest he wanted to blush in embarrassment, and walked forward. He stopped just in front of the Soutaichou's table.

Yamamoto nodded at him as he stood from his seat. "I now hereby declare from this day forth that Ichigo Kurosaki-taichou will be the one to lead the 13th Squad." Ichigo bowed to everyone. "You may take your post, Kurosaki-taichou."

He nodded again before he went, to his horror and annoyance, beside Kurotsuchi who was the 12th Squad Taichou and thus would be next to him in every meeting. His white sleeveless haori fluttered behind him and he remembered the awe that he felt when it was handed to him yesterday, the day after the conversation he had with Yamamoto. He wore a sleeveless Shihakusho now too, because his Bankai always made him lose the right side of his sleeve and replaced by a black chain coiled around his arm.

The meeting started and everyone, Ichigo noticed, immediately busied themselves from daydreaming or thinking of other things. In short, doing anything except listening. Not that he could blame them. He could feel his drowsiness when Yamamoto started talking about monetary funds and he knew he had to think of something to not sleep on the spot, especially when the daily reports about Rukongai and other noble family activities were talked about.

After about an hour and a half, which felt like a whole day, the meeting had finally ended and Ichigo thought he was already free. _How wrong could he get? _

"So, you're a Taichou now." Kenpachi grinned as he put an arm over Ichigo's shoulder and the teen's knees almost gave out from the weight. "How about a spar? I heard you acquired a new zanpakutou?"

Ichigo sighed as he removed Kenpachi's arm over his shoulder, only to have another arm swung over his shoulder, this time from Shunsui. "How about a drink, Ichigo? Ah, let me rephrase that, _Kurosaki-taichou_." The older male grinned before he turned to Kenpachi. "You too, Zaraki-taichou." Kenpachi looked thoughtful for a while before he grinned. Then Shunsui called some others as well, namely: everyone except soutaichou and Kurotsuchi. Toshirou and Komamura accepted while Unohana politely declined, having to attend to some of her patients. Soi Fon flatly refused and Byakuya coldly accepted, much to everyone's surprise. "Alright! Let's go!"

Ichigo sighed. "Don't I have any say in this?"

"Nope." Shunsui grinned.

"I won't drink though." Ichigo

Then he heard a click of a tongue behind him. "If only you rejected the offer to become a Taichou and became my favorite research subject." Ichigo shuddered as he felt the penetrating gaze that the man was giving him from behind.

"Sorry to disappoint you then, Kurotsuchi-taichou." Ichigo answered as they all left.

Ichigo opened the 13th Barracks and almost jumped when multi-colored confetti exploded on his face. Everyone grinned at him and his eyes widened. _They prepared a party for him._

"Congratulations on becoming a Taichou, Ichigo!" Rukia and Renji shouted but then Renji added, "I mean, Kurosaki-taichou!" Everyone else greeted him enthusiastically and many others started to sing for him, and some even had the audacity to pat him on the shoulder. Kiyone and Sentarou cried on his shoulder and said that they would follow him anywhere. That made a shiver ran down his spine for some unknown reason.

Ichigo grinned shyly and everyone else gaped. It seemed they didn't think Ichigo was capable of making such an expression. All they knew about him was the normal and assumed-to-be-permanent scowl. "Thank you."

"Alright, let's drink!" Shunsui exclaimed and everyone else cheered in assent before they all sat in a seiza at their own row of low tables.

Byakuya, sitting together with Komamura, Kenpachi, and Toshirou, watched as Ichigo was dragged from table to table, everyone trying to make him drink alcohol. But the teen always politely refused. Somehow, even Renji managed to shoo away some of the Shinigamis who wanted to give him a juice mixed with alcohol. The other fukutaichous, together with Rukia, Ikkaku and Yumichika, sat together and were having a nice chat while talking about Ichigo. They were laughing to themselves and the orange-haired teen somehow wondered what Rukia was telling them to make them have that kind of reaction.

In the end, Ichigo and Shunsui sat together with the other Taichous and they cheered for him. Of course, Byakuya and Toshirou only raised their cup but didn't join in the cheery conversation. Somehow, the conversation had centered between Komamura, Kenpachi, and Shunsui who was talking non-stop now that he had drank sake. Ichigo watched as everyone, even his soon-to-be subordinates, drink and have fun to their hearts' content.

He wondered what Juushirou or Kaien would have said, now that he was a Taichou. He had always told them that he would never become part of the Gotei 13. And they always believed him. Or maybe they didn't. Maybe they thought from the start that Ichigo would soon join, if only because of them.

He sighed. He was supposed to be having his celebratory party and yet he was thinking of melancholic things.

His eyes darted on Byakuya and saw how the noble still appeared, well, noble, despite the fact that he held a cup of sake. He held it as if it was tea and the elegance and grace of his fingers were very remarkable. Ichigo found himself comparing the noble raven to Shunsui, who was chatting non-stop while holding the sake a little brashly, though still magnificently, and Kenpachi whose sake was spilling from his cup and onto his Shihakusho because of his brashness. The teen wondered how Komamura could even begin to chat with the two while not feeling embarrassed about his companions. Shunsui was talking about women and pornography while Kenpachi talked about gruesome bloodiness. Toshirou had a vein of annoyance popping out of his forehead as he sipped a little of his sake.

After a while, Shunsui wasn't contented with the cup anymore and he immediately took the whole bottle and started to drink from it instead.

Byakuya, on the other hand, watched as Ichigo looked around him. It didn't look like the teen was uncomfortable or anything. But it still felt like the teen wasn't part of the party but a mere observant. Byakuya knew what a wall was, and he knew he had one. It was visible and cold, and no one was able to even make a small dent, except maybe Ichigo when the boy fought him. But Ichigo… He also had it, the wall. It was invisible so no one could see it, but it was there all the same. And Byakuya knew that Ichigo's wall was way thicker and higher than his. It's somehow saddening that a boy like Ichigo had something like that while still so young. He now wondered what could have happened to make his defense so high like that, aside from Juushirou's death of course.

Ichigo's eyes softened when he saw Renji and Rukia. The redhead was talking to the female raven and he had a soft blush on his cheeks. It was annoying and at the same time adorable, if he said so himself. Renji should just confess his feelings and get it over with. Rukia seemed to like him too anyway. Rangiku, Shuuhei, and Kira were having a drinking contest and it looked like no one would win by the end of it. Yachiru kept running in shunpo all over the place and stealing foods from table to table without the lower-ranking Shinigamis ever realizing.

"Byakushi!" Yachiru chirped as she landed on Byakuya's lap, much to the noble's horror. His eyes slowly widened and he was about to lash out when the pink-haired girl hopped from him to Kenpachi, who was much used to it.

The noble's darted his glare from Yachiru to the silently laughing orange-haired teen. Ichigo immediately stopped when the raven glared daggers at him, but the corners of his lips still twitched one in a while, much to the noble's annoyance and, he might not be aware of it, amusement.

The party lasted until midnight. Ichigo was the only one sane enough because he's the only one who didn't drink, aside from Yachiru of course. No one was able to make him, no matter how much they pleaded, and Renji was much too happy about that. He had not forgotten the reason why Ichigo refused. And with Ichigo's reiatsu now, there was no way he'd let his friend ever drink a single drop.

**. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .**

"Ichigo, as much as I'm happy to hear that, I'm afraid I cannot go back now." Ichigo's shoulder sagged slightly when he heard Shinji's reply.

It had been a week since he was formally appointed Taichou and it was just now that his approval to go to the living world was given. Of course, he had to have eighty percent of his reiatsu sealed by the Gentei Reiin, as the seal on his left chest, a snowflake, implied. He immediately went and told Shinji and the others of the event concerning Aizen after he finished his conversation with the annoying perverted hat and clogs, and of course his biological father and sisters. It was a touching reunion between siblings. Or rather, it would have been if it weren't for Isshin's constant way of trying to annoy the hell out of him.

He knew the Vizards might not be pleased to return right away, but an outright refusal was shocking.

The Vizards exchanged glances at one another. They still held grudges against Soul Society and they felt that it was still too early to return, if ever they would. But Ichigo's dejected form was a little too hard to look at.

"If you dare mope here, I will slipper-slap you!" Hiyori exclaimed and Ichigo looked at her and smiled.

"I'm not moping." He said, but his smile alone said that he was. It was a sad smile. "I understand your reason. Urahara refused to leave his house here in the living world too, though he promised to make contact with the soutaichou one of these days."

"I see. We want to, Ichigo." Shinji said. "But a century of grudge is not so easily erased."

Ichigo nodded. He understood their reasons completely, though it still felt like he was personally rejected. After all, he was the one who made the condition to Soutaichou that they could return. "Anyway, I also returned here to thank you for everything." He said after a while.

Shinji nodded before he grinned. "Of course, we're your comrades after all."

Ichigo then stood up. "I have to go back now. I was only given three hours. I've spent two hours in Urahara's shop thanks to Goat-face." He waved goodbye at the others and turned around to leave but Shinji's voice stopped him.

"Well, if we will come back, it'll be because of you and not because of those Shinigamis." Shinji said, grinning. Ichigo blinked at him. "I think a position in the 5th Squad is truly remarkable." Ichigo still blinked at him, not knowing what he meant.

Hiyori sighed. She knew Shinji wouldn't be able to refuse Ichigo. "It means that Shinji is accepting your offer, idiot." She said before she sighed again. "And if Shinji's going… then I'll go too."

"I knew you like me, Hiyori. But please don't be too obvious about it." Shinji teased. "Girls need to have a modest attitu–" And he wasn't able to finish his sentence anymore because he already received a slipper-slap from Hiyori.

"Idiot!" But she was blushing.

Kensei scratched his head. Shinji was truly a headache sometimes, though he knew where the blonde was coming from. It was a little saddening that Ichigo was alone in Seireitei, the sole Vizard there. "Alright, I'm coming too." He grumbled.

Mashiro cheered. "Yey! I'm coming too!" It seemed she really wanted to come back. She was just shy about it because everyone else didn't want to. Lisa nodded her assent distractedly, not bothering to look up from her porno manga. Both her nose had tissues stuck in it from nosebleed.

Rojurou smiled. "You don't have to hide it, everyone." He turned to Ichigo. "From the start, we've been really happy that you did that, Ichigo. I also want to return."

Hachigen looked sad. "Sorry, Ichigo. But I want to help my Taichou, I mean the former Kidoushu Sosui and Dai Kidouchou Tessai Tsukabishi. I was his Fuku Kidouchou after all." He beamed. "I will visit Soul Society one of these decades, don't worry."

Rabu also had an apologetic face. "Ichigo, I'm sorry. But I have no intention of ever coming back to Soul Society again. I'm teaching in Karakura Academy and I'm happy with my job." Lisa knew though that the only thing Rabu liked about that Academy was that the fact that females' skirts were really short that sometimes one could see their underwear when the wind blew a little harder. If the Shinigami Academy had those kinds of uniforms for females, she knew that Rabu would like to return too.

"I'm sorry you have to be separated from one another because of my offer." Ichigo said sadly. It was saddening that the Vizards who stuck together through thick and thin from becoming Vizard had to part.

"Idiot!" Rabu yelled. "I said I have no intention of coming back to Soul Society anymore. What I meant is that I don't want to live there! But I didn't say I will not come over there one of these years for a simple visit!"

Shinji grinned. "So, Ichigo? What are you waiting for? We don't have all day, right?"

Ichigo grinned as well. "Thank you!" And they said their goodbyes to Hachigen and Rabu before they left.

A week after that, the Vizards became officially part of the Gotei 13. There were many Shinigamis who still feared them together with Ichigo, but those were the new recruits who were also afraid of their own Taichous. Many were happy that they were back though, and that was all that mattered.

Shinji Hirako was appointed back to his former position as the Taichou of the 5th Division. Momo was still convinced that Aizen was a good person and that Gin and Kaname were the ones who turned him evil. It seemed though that the shock of Aizen's betrayal had made her a little mentally unstable. Sometimes she believed that Aizen was dead and that Ichigo killed him while there were times when she believed that it was Gin and Kaname who plotted everything and killed her beloved Taichou. She refused to have another Taichou and resigned from her position. And as much as Toshirou hated to see her suffer so much, he knew that what bed-wetter Momo needed was space and relaxation of the mind. Thus, her decision to resign might actually bring her good. And thus, the position was occupied by the former 12th Squad fukutaichou Hiyori Sarugaki.

Ichigo saw how Shuuhei's eyes widened when he saw his idol replaced his former Taichou. Kensei arched an eyebrow when he saw a similar tattoo as the one on his stomach on Shuuhei's face. The fukutaichou was much too happy that he immediately welcomed the former 9th Division Taichou to the post. Everyone smiled knowingly where Shuuhei's over enthusiasm and respect would lead to. Mashiro became the third seat but she didn't mind. It was more fun to tease her fukutaichou about Kensei after all.

Kira, on the other hand, blushed when he saw who his new Taichou would be. Of course, everyone understood. The former 3rd Division Taichou held much charm and beauty. Rojurou Otoribashi and Kensei Muguruma immediately became part of the Shinigami Women's Association's weekly magazine after that.

Lisa became Soi Fon's fukutaichou and, surprisingly, the two of them got along very well despite the vast difference in their personalities. Omaeda became the third seat and his two superiors always combined their womanly strength to bully him. That was one more reason why the two got along well. They both had the same sadistic understanding that it was fun to bully the obese man.

**. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .**

"Kurooosakiii-fukutaichouu? Are you heeeeree?" Ichigo scowled. Rukia was annoying him again. It seemed the female was still elated that he picked her to be his fukutaichou. She was really shocked yesterday in the meeting hall. It was also yesterday that the proclamation of the Vizards to be part of Gotei 13 was officially made.

"What?" He growled as he looked up from his paperwork.

Rukia knew she was disturbing Ichigo from his paperwork. But hell, the guy had been working nonstop ever since he became a Taichou. She knew there was so much paperwork to do but it shouldn't really deter him from going out and relaxing. She talked about it to his nii-sama one morning and Byakuya told her to just continue annoying Ichigo and all would be fine. Of course, she wasn't one to doubt her nii-sama and she knew that it was the only way to make Ichigo pause from his work.

"_Nii-sama is really a genius." _She thought as she entered the office. Though if she could only read Byakuya's mind at the time, she would immediately knew that Byakuya only heard the part that it annoyed Ichigo so he approved of it.

Rukia was about to open her mouth to tell Ichigo that he needed a break when an explosion shook the whole office. Rukia's eyes widened. "Wha–?"

Ichigo growled. "Kenpachi." He immediately stood up from his table and walked out. Rukia immediately followed suit. "It has only been two weeks since I became a Taichou and I already had to have the walls of my barracks repaired twenty times!"

Rukia bit her lower lip. She couldn't tell Ichigo that it was the other Shinigami's way of communicating with him, to make him come out of his barracks once in a while.

What they saw made their eyes widened, however, because it wasn't Kenpachi at all. Shinji grinned. "Yo, how about a spar, Ichigo?"

"Hirako-taichou!" Rukia exclaimed as she eyed the vastness of the damage. It seemed Shinji did a good job of destroying the 13th Division's wall. And it looked that he was doing a way better job than Kenpachi.

Ichigo's left eye twitched as he crossed his arm over his chest. "You know you will pay for that, Shinji." He felt that he would now have two annoyances breaking his wall everyday. Kenpachi was bad enough as it was. Shinji… Well, he's a Vizard. He's way worse than Kenpachi could ever be.

"Of cours–!" But he wasn't able to finish his sentence when a foot landed on his face from the sideways and made him stumble some feet away. At least Ichigo was thankful that there was someone willing to "take care" of Shinji for him.

"You idiot!" Hiyori shouted as she stomped towards the face-down-on-the-ground Shinji. "You haven't even started your paperwork yet, and you're already working on making it double!" She held both his shoulders and shook him hard. "You'll pay for this mess too, you hear me!?" And she dragged him away without waiting for his answer.

"I am so glad Hiyori is not my fukutaichou." Ichigo shook his head, remembering the training he had in the living world before he shivered involuntarily. Rukia felt praised with his statement.

"Ah!" Rukia blurted. "Let's go to my house together with Renji! Let's have some time together! We haven't had any time to hang out yet, you know!" And before Ichigo could even react, he was immediately dragged away by a grinning Rukia. Now the 13th Division Taichou wondered if he was really glad that Hiyori wasn't his fukutaichou. Rukia should've been Shinji's fukutaichou instead, since both of them liked slacking off so much.

.

.tbc.

.

**Ren-sama's Note:**

**At last, most things are already in place. I can finally do the ByaIchi moment that everyone has been waiting for. ˆoˆ**


	17. Chapter 17

**Ren-sama's Note:**

**Thank you for the wait, everyone! **

**P.S. Akambo means 'baby.' Aka-chan is the more popular term but I used the term 'akambo' because it is formal and not endearing (at least for me), especially since Yamamoto uses it (in this fict) almost as a derogatory term to people many centuries younger than him and have lesser experience.**

**.**

**Chapter 17**

Ichigo sighed. It wasn't the kind of slacking off that he was expecting at all. Rukia dragged him to the Kuchiki manor and then while they waited for Renji, she had decided to also make him wait because a Hell Butterfly came to her. It was from the Shinigami Women's Association that she was in and there seemed to be a sudden meeting. She refused to let Ichigo go back to their Barracks and told him to wait patiently in the living room because the meeting wouldn't last long, or so she said. But it had already been almost an hour and she still hasn't come back.

A quiet footstep made Ichigo look up and he saw, to his annoyance, Byakuya wearing not his usual Taichou uniform but a black floral kimono. The teen was annoyed not in Byakuya per se but at the fact that he found the Taichou rather… _stunning._ Well, Byakuya had always been stunning, but somehow, it was different today. The raven's hair was loose and without the kenseikan. And judging from the dripping tips, the noble had just finished his bath.

"What are you doing here, Ichigo Kurosaki?" Byakuya asked. For two weeks now, the teen had been trying to make Byakuya call him Kurosaki-taichou, but it seemed the noble liked calling his name fully, especially since the teen pointed out that he disliked it. _It seemed Byakuya's sole happiness was seeing Ichigo's scowling face. _Well, it's not that Ichigo could blame him. After all, he never called Byakuya in a respectful manner either despite the noble's cold protests.

"I'm waiting for Rukia." He shrugged. "She received an emergency call from the Shinigami Women's Association and told me not to leave until she comes back."

"I see." Both of Byakuya hands were folded over his chest, inside the sleeves of his kimono and making him appear overly formal. He then turned to a corner where a servant stood silently and unmoving. "Prepare us some tea and some cookies. And bring in the bottle of sugar cubes." Ichigo looked up and their gaze met. "Rukia told me you prefer overly sweet tea. She always talks about a lot of things." Byakuya answered coldly to the inquiring look that the teen was giving him.

Ichigo nodded before he furrowed his eyebrows again. "Is that bad? You look like you don't mind it at all though, that she talks a lot."

"I didn't say it's bad." Byakuya sat in front of Ichigo in a very formal way and closed his eyes. "But oftentimes, she speaks of a certain Taichou who keeps on making her worry by overworking himself. Although I don't know who that Taichou is, I'll make sure to cut him up into tiny little pieces if he ever made Rukia worry again." Then he opened his eyes and his cold glare was received by the teen, who gulped. That seemed to satisfy the noble's ego.

Ichigo was just so thankful that the servant chose that moment to arrive, together with the tray of tea and cookies. Ichigo thought he'd kill Rukia if she comes back, because of two reasons. First was the fact that she made her Taichou wait for her for a long time in somebody else's house. And second was that she kept talking to Byakuya about her worries for the orange-haired teen. And the said teen didn't even agree to her assumption that he was overworking himself! He was merely doing his job and he was happy doing the paperwork, something that would make all the other Taichous arch an eyebrow to. The paperwork took his mind away from everything else, and… he could converse animatedly with his inner spirits while doing the mindless task. It was way relaxing.

It was a good relaxation for him to hear the scroll of the ink pen on his paper while he listened to Shiro and Muramasa's daily banter. It seemed Zangetsu was much too happy to have another zanpakutou inside Ichigo's inner world because Shiro rarely bugged him now. The Hollow's sword always aimed for Muramasa nowadays, who was always easily provoked, much to Ichigo's surprise. He thought that Muramasa was a calm zanpakutou like Zangetsu, but it seemed he was far too wrong. The guy was as much of a stubborn and cunning fighter as Shiro, and the latter liked it that way.

Tea was served and Ichigo sipped a little from his cup, after he finished putting the sugar and stirred it of course, not minding the lack of conversation between him and his hospitable but cold host.

Byakuya watched as the teen sipped his tea, noticing that Ichigo was in a way elegant and graceful in his actions too. His long sun-kissed fingers held the cup with almost as much grace as Byakuya did. _Maybe Juushirou taught him a little tact and formality after all? _He himself doubted that though. Juushirou was graceful in his own way but he wasn't the type to care about formality. He would not force his own son to behave in a way that wasn't so like him. And that only meant one thing. _Ichigo did it unconsciously. _And Byakuya couldn't help but approve of the teen's behavior, so unlike his brash Fukutaichou even though both came from Rukongai and were even friends together with Rukia before they became Shinigamis.

Ichigo tipped his head a little to the right and closed his eyes as he savored the tea, and the noble couldn't help but admire the view, though he would never admit it. He had not seen Ichigo look this peaceful before. His eyes were closed and his long lashes gently caressed the skin below his eyes. His bright hair was, as usual, unruly, but it also looked so soft. The raven remembered how Juushirou always ruffled the teen's hair and how Ichigo seemed to like it so much that he sometimes even leaned in on the touch. _Ichigo was a child, a small innocent child forced to grow up so fast that he had already forgotten his much needed childhood life._

And before Byakuya knew it, he was already developing compassion towards the child that he was gazing at. He felt that Ichigo was much too young to experience pain and suffering, but the teen's eyes said that he knew all about different kinds of pain now.

The noble remembered how empty and cold he felt when his wife Hisana died, how painful it was to continue with his life as if her death didn't make him want to follow her. It was heartbreaking how he wanted to die along with her. And yet, he had to coop it up inside him and appear strong and act like nothing happened. He didn't even cry in her funeral, though in his inner world Senbonzakura grieved when his home turned dark and lifeless together with his master. The full bloom Sakura trees were now withered and the lake was dried. There was no life in his inner world anymore. For Rukia's sake though, even if he wouldn't admit it out loud, he managed to continue living and acting. And knowing that Ichigo might still be feeling that way up until now because of Juushirou's death was unsettling him.

It had been fifty years since his wife's death and he now felt a little calmer. He was showered with Rukia's not-so-quiet affections even if he appeared to not appreciate them. Because he had someone to lean on, he was able to live on. _But Ichigo was pushing people away unconsciously in fear of losing someone dear to him again. _The noble could tell it since he had experienced the same pain in the past.

Maybe Rukia was right. Ichigo really did need something to take his mind off painful things and memories. "Ichigo Kurosaki," he found himself saying. "Have you chosen some new trainees to be part of your Division?"

Ichigo blinked before his eyes met steel gray ones. He didn't think Byakuya would be the one to start a conversation. "Ah, not yet, Byakuya. The 13th Division still hasn't recovered from many things, and I still need to focus on those. There will be time for recruitment, but not now I guess."

"Hn." Byakuya grunted. And he immediately realized it was so unlike him to do that. He let out a soft breath. _Was Ichigo really the type to only open up and talk when talked to? _He surely didn't look like it.

Ichigo looked up and saw that Byakuya was looking at him in that weird way again. He didn't know how it started, but lately, the noble always looked at him in that weird way. He didn't know what it was that the noble thought of while his eyes blazed like that. Byakuya's face remained cold, but his eyes said that he was thinking of something really disturbing.

The teen felt himself warm up inwardly. Most people said that Byakuya was cold and apathetic, but they didn't know that Byakuya was one of the most expressive people that Ichigo knew. The noble might not have any expression on his face but his eyes had it all, his deep and cool powerful gray orbs were the most expressive eyes that Ichigo had ever seen. Well, Juushirou might have been that way too, and Kaien, but those two were no longer in this world so they weren't counted. _And knowing that so very few people could see this part of the noble made Ichigo feel prideful. _He couldfeel that tingling sensation in his stomach again. He had not yet felt it before so he didn't know what it was, though he knew that Byakuya was the cause of it.

'_**Tsk, tsk. How naive, King.' **_Shiro snickered. _**'It seems that old man Genryuusai is right after all. You **_**are**_** still an infant.'**_

"Tch. Shut up." Ichigo growled and Byakuya looked up at him, wide eyed and surprised. Ichigo immediately knew that he said it out loud. "Ah… just talking to myself." His eyes left the noble's and darted on the cookies. "Er, can I have a cookie?" He asked, almost shyly.

Byakuya arched an eyebrow at that. Ichigo surely wasn't shy when he accepted the tea. "Help yourself." Ichigo's expression brightened as he picked up a cookie and munched on it contentedly. He looked like a child to Byakuya then, an adorable one. And his eyebrow twitched in annoyance when he suddenly thought that.

"Ichigo!" Rukia said as she walked towards the living room. And then she paused when she saw Byakuya together with his Taichou and… having tea? "N-Nii-sama! I thought you have work?"

"I left the office earlier since there is a much annoying Taichou who keeps on trying to destroy the wall of my Barracks just because of my presence there." Ichigo grinned knowingly. Shinji was most likely having his ass whipped by Hiyori right now so it was definitely Kenpachi. The guy just didn't have it in him to knock. Or at least learn to destroy the wooden doors only, leaving the wall intact.

Rukia sat beside Byakuya and the elder noble asked a servant to bring another cup to the living room. When the cup arrived, Rukia poured herself some tea and sipped it with much grace that her mentor had taught her. She looked between her nii-sama and Ichigo, and noticed that both males looked quite comfortable in one another's company. _That's a little surprising._

And then she saw the bottle filled with sugar cubes on the table. _Ichigo must have requested for one. _

"Rukia, may I remind you that making a guest wait for a long time all alone inside your house is so uncouth?" Byakuya voiced coldly before he sipped his own tea. Rukia immediately muttered an apology, but the older noble arched an eyebrow at that. "I believe I am not the guest here, Rukia. Don't apologize to me." Rukia bit her lower lip before she apologized to Ichigo.

"No, it's alright. If it really bothers me, I would have left a long time ago." Ichigo tried to salvage her but Byakuya wouldn't hear the end of it. He said that it was his job to discipline his younger sister and it would apply not only to Ichigo but also to other guests. Byakuya also told him that the teen might be alright with it, but there were other guests who wouldn't. The teen could only sigh. Byakuya was as strict as ever.

Afterwards, the male raven left the two alone and went towards the garden.

"So, how did it go? Your meeting?" Ichigo asked in hope of changing the subject.

Rukia smiled at him. "Nii-sama is right. I'm really sorry, Ichigo. The meeting went well. But we were having a little problem on the fact that Muguruma-taichou is very reluctant to let us take a picture of him half-naked." She sighed as if it's a very serious problem that was needed to be dealt with, before her eyes twinkled when she looked at him next. Ichigo felt dread. "Ichigo! You're a Vizard, right? You're their very close friend, right?" She had a puppy eyes and he knew he wouldn't like what would come out of her mouth next.

Before she could even say it though, Ichigo had already guessed. "No, Rukia. I will not help in convincing him. Kensei will kill me before he hears the end of it. I love my life, thank you. And I love it quiet and peaceful."

Rukia pouted before she increased the power of her puppy eyes. "Pleaaaseeee?" Ichigo arched an eyebrow at her. Surely she knew that even though it worked on Renji quite well, Ichigo's standards were different?

Ichigo sighed. "A 'no' is a 'no,' Rukia Kuchiki." _Great, now Rukia was sulking in the corner._

Rukia sighed. Aside from the fact that they still yet to get a half-naked picture of Kensei, there's still something else she needed to do. And it was way harder than the first. _To take a picture of Ichigo and/or Byakuya smiling sweetly. _Yes, it was like having to take a picture of a full bloom cherry blossom in the middle of winter. Or better yet, having to take a picture of Kenpachi in a lolita dress. Or even better, taking a picture of Soi Fon and Kurotsuchi's wedding. She shuddered just having to think of it.

"So, where's Renji?" Ichigo asked, snapping Rukia out of her thoughts.

She looked over Ichigo's shoulder, at Byakuya who was standing with his back to them and gazing at the slowly falling cherry petals in the garden. Fall is approaching fast. "Renji said that he will be late. It seems he has to finish his paperwork first before he can go out of the office. It's nii-sama's punishment for him." Ichigo arched an eyebrow at that. She leaned closer and added as a whisper. "Because I asked him to take a picture of nii-sama sleeping. He said that he was able to take it, but nii-sama woke up. And seconds after that, Renji was the one out cold."

Ichigo gulped. He didn't want to imagine what Byakuya did when he caught his own fukutaichou sneaking on him while taking pictures. He didn't want to see the remains of the camera either.

He understood Byakuya's side though. The guy was a very private person, just like him. And he also didn't want to have his privacy out in the public, like his sleeping face, or his half-naked body, or anything that was not natural for him to appear in a public magazine. Everybody saw this as coldness and indifference, but Ichigo knew that it was merely a matter of pride, of protecting his privacy, and hiding everything that might make him appear a little more vulnerable in public eyes.

Rukia, on the other hand, just felt annoyed that Ichigo never slept in the office, nor did he like to be disturbed while he's working. And moreover, Rukia was punished by the Shinigami Women's Association because she wasn't able to take a stolen picture of Ichigo half-naked too. She sighed as she remembered how she had to buy Ise-fukutaichou a Chappy the Bunny ink pen. _It was ridiculous!_ Just because Nanao's Taichou was always willing to have his picture taken and even willing to take off all of his clothes, and always smiled and grinned and even slept all over the place, glasses-wearing fukutaichou already thought that taking pictures was an easy task! _Rukia was stuck with two icebergs, for Soul Society's sake!_ Ichigo and her nii-sama were placed in her task. She could only take pictures of them from afar. And the payment wasn't good enough! They all thought she was bad at taking pictures. Hell, if ever Ichigo or Byakuya saw she was taking their pictures, they would immediately slice down the poor gadget.

"Should we meet up with Renji in the 6th Barracks then?" Ichigo asked as he stood up. He was obviously bored now. Rukia had to bite her lower lip again.

"Sorry for taking a lot of your time wasted, Kurosaki-taichou." She apologized seriously. Rukia knew that Ichigo was her friend, but that didn't mean that there was already no barrier between him as a Taichou and her as a fukutaichou. She still respected that barrier, _sometimes_.

Ichigo smiled a little. "It's okay. Maybe we can help Renji in his paperwork and then we can go out." He knew what Rukia was trying to do. Renji and Rukia might have hanged out together in their Academy days, but Ichigo wasn't with them. And when Ichigo arrived and hanged out with Renji and the others, Rukia had already left for the living world. And when Rukia arrived, she was to be executed and Ichigo was a wanted criminal. And when everything cleared, Ichigo had to sleep for two weeks and recuperate. Then there's the zanpakutou rebellion. And, when everything had been cleared again, Ichigo had become a Taichou and busied himself with work non-stop. _She must've been missing the old times when the three of them would just go out together and have a good time without worrying about anything else._

Rukia grinned. "I think that's a good idea!"

And so they said their goodbye to Byakuya, who appeared to not even paying any attention them at all, and left.

**. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .**

**Three months had passed** since the appointment of the Vizards in their post. Byakuya liked working in his manor now than in his office, because not only Kenpachi destroyed the wall, the other Vizards had started to ask him for a fight too. And he would've accepted it if it was Ichigo, but it was Shinji, Kensei, or Rojurou. Not that he was biased in their powers, but he wanted to improve his power and only a rational person like Ichigo could give him satisfaction. Shinji and Kensei were way too all-out, more graceful than Kenpachi but still in the same league as him. Rojurou, on the other hand, was like water, flowing and dancing in battle. And Byakuya would look like an idiot having to fight with him. And thus, the only option was Ichigo, though the boy preferred his paperwork than going anywhere. _Not that Byakuya asked him for a fight again after the Muramasa ordeal. _

The noble sighed as he paused from doing his paperwork and looked out in the garden. He felt like berating himself. He put up with it in the beginning, but it was starting to annoy him now. Every time Ichigo went to his manor, the male noble was immediately asking the servants to bring in some tea with sugar cubes and some cookies. When Rukia told him one day two months ago that Ichigo liked strawberries, he started bringing in strawberries too. He didn't know what was wrong with him. And it was getting annoying and annoying.

Ichigo, during his second visit, had walked out in the garden and he said that he liked the place. Ever since then, Rukia would take Ichigo out into the garden and the two would enjoy the view of the falling sakura petals. Ichigo had started to frequently visit the mansion in the past three months too, much to Byakuya's annoyance and curiosity. Sometimes the teen would go together with Renji, but most often it was only Ichigo and Rukia chatting in the garden while they idly watched the sakura trees.

Byakuya would even sometimes find Ichigo sleeping underneath the trees while Rukia sat beside the teen, working on some paperwork quietly. The sight somehow felt dazzling for him and he didn't know why. The way the petals would idly fall down on the sleeping overwhelmed him in a weird kind of way.

Fall was a long phase of season in Soul Society and Byakuya learned that Ichigo liked this season the most. _Byakuya liked that season too, not that he ever shared that information with anyone._

As the noble stared out in the garden, the view of sakura petals slowly falling on the ground warmed and made him relaxed. He had always associated himself with cherry blossoms. And he couldn't help but curse inwardly when he felt overwhelmed every time Ichigo looked at the cherry blossoms in his garden like the trees were the most beautiful flower-bearing tree there ever was. He liked how the teen's eyes always turned softer when they gazed at the flowers or how Ichigo would appear more relaxed as he inhaled the sweet scent. And the raven liked how the petals slowly fell on the teen, gracing his presence with their little dance from the branch to the ground and brushing his cheeks and sleeveless arms while falling.

And right at this moment, he could see the teen in his garden. Ichigo's back was on him and the teen was facing one of the trees and looking up at the falling petals again. The teen's haori was slightly fluttering with the slight cold breeze.

Byakuya was sure that the teen couldn't see him from his spot, though it appeared ridiculous why he would want to hide in his own manor. He watched as the teen slowly turned around and smiled, his usual aloof but kind smile. _Ichigo wasn't looking at him though. _Rukia appeared not seconds after and greeted Ichigo with a punch on the shoulder. It seemed his younger sister often liked punching Ichigo's muscled though lean shoulder.

He sighed again. He's doing it a lot these past few months. He felt so restless, and yet he didn't know why. Lately, he had been thinking of the teen even in Ichigo's absence, and he knew that it was more than a passing thought. And it unnerved him always when he caught himself. Maybe there's something wrong with him. Or maybe there was something wrong with Ichigo, the way he could evoke such annoyance to the noble even without trying.

It annoyed him so much that normally, he would've already consulted Juushirou about it and sought the older man's advice. But since that wouldn't and couldn't happen anymore, he found himself in frustration on what he should do. And besides, even if Juushirou was still alive, Byakuya doubted he'd open up to the older male anyway since it was the man's son the noble was starting to have a problem dealing with.

_Maybe a good spar would do him good._

And yet, only thinking of Shinji and Kenpachi already made his head throb. He massaged his temples before he decided that the best way to stop thinking was doing the mindless paperwork.

It was already dusk by the time he finished and Ichigo wasn't in the garden anymore. It seemed Rukia had dragged her Taichou somewhere else.

Byakuya knew that it was a good thing that Ichigo had started to come out of his office, even if his only hang out place was the noble's manor and some forest in Rukongai for training. The man was just so stubborn and refused to ever do some unwinding and relaxation despite Rukia's encouragement.

Ichigo wasn't forcing himself to obey Rukia's whims. Byakuya could see that Ichigo genuinely didn't mind it much. _But the wall was still there. _No matter how much Rukia tried to make the teen more sociable and talkative, Ichigo reverted back to his lone and quiet self afterwards. The wall was that thick. _And not even Rukia was making any dent on it, let alone break it. _By now, the male noble knew that it wasn't just Juushirou who caused it. It was probably a culmination of agonizing and sorrowful events that had built up together over the past few years. And these events had crippled the teen emotionally, to the point that he guarded himself so heavily that no one could even enter inside his heart now. Not even his friends whom he kept at arms' length.

And now, Byakuya realized he was once again thinking of the teen. He closed his eyes tight and gritted his teeth in frustration. He felt like slamming his head on the wooden table, or maybe better on the cement wall.

'_Master, you can ask me or confide in me, you know.' _Senbonzakura voiced inside his mind.

Byakuya opened his eyes once more and found himself in his inner world. And his eyes widened. Senbonzakura smiled from beneath his red oni-like mask when he saw Byakuya's surprise. The noble had not been in his inner world ever since Rukia's execution after all.

The noble couldn't even believe that it was his inner world. He had become so used to seeing black, withered cherry blossoms under the starless and moonless, dark cloudy night. The wind was always cold and merciless so he didn't like staying in the place, and he pitied Senbonzakura for having to live in it. The lake had always been dry and the ground was cracked and lifeless, barren, like it had suffered severe drought and plague. It had been like that ever since Hisana's death. And even with Rukia's shower of love, his inner world had remained barren and lifeless.

He gulped as he took in his surroundings now. The trees were still withered and black, though not so much anymore, but the lake had water, and plenty of it. Koi fishes swam contentedly in the depths of the clear lake and Byakuya stared at them in wonder for a moment. The ground was still cracked, but there were some small grasses sprouting here and there, compensating for the dryness of the brown soil. And, the most stunning shock of all was the bright crescent moon hanging up in the cloudless sky. There were stars here and there as well. And it was comforting, because it wasn't so dark anymore. Not to mention it wasn't cold at all.

"Why..? How did this… happened?" Byakuya asked silently, as if afraid that it was merely a dream and that it would fade the moment his voice raised. He didn't even remember to berate himself for his stutter.

Senbonzakura smiled again. "This is because of a certain sun that had managed to creep up inside you and managed to make you feel again, even if just a little."

Byakuya looked at his zanpakutou, not really understanding what Senbonzakura meant. And the zanpakutou had to sigh at his master's denseness. It wasn't love per se yet, but the proximity of this new feeling to love was not to be underestimated. _And Byakuya's feelings, it seemed, were growing quite steadily without the noble's conscious notice._

"Then, Master, would you like to tell me what it is that you've been thinking these past few months?" Senbonzakura asked politely.

Byakuya had to think for a while. And then it hit him. He wasn't thinking of Hisana at all, at least not in the way he used to think of her. He used to wallow in sorrow and pain just thinking of her. _But now… _Why though? He still couldn't understand. Even if the pain was lesser than the first few decades, it still gripped him tightly. Or at least he thought that way. Senbonzakura seemed to know something that he didn't know of. The zanpakutou lived in his heart. Of course, Senbonzakura would know the things that not even he could realize. _Maybe it was because he had gotten closer to Rukia? No, maybe because he had become more open to other people? Or maybe because he had been more hospitable to Ichigo in the last few months that his heart was granted peace and quiet? _Maybe… or maybe not.

_Whatever it was, he would make sure that Senbonzakura would spill it all out._

The zanpakutou could see that the things Byakuya kept thinking were getting more and more far off from the real reason, and he had to sigh again.

"Can you please stop doing that? It's annoying, Senbonzakura." The noble voiced when the zanpakutou sighed for the third time. "You can just get to it and tell me what it is."

"As much as I want to, I cannot, Master." His masked companion said. "You have to realize these things on your own or it'll be pointless." Byakuya's eyes narrowed at his zanpakutou's audacity to defy him. But Senbonzakura's gaze, as well as his stance, told the noble that he would not be fazed or even waver in his decision.

Byakuya had to improvise. "When did this world started to change then?"

Senbonzakura thought for a while before he shrugged. _He might as well give some clue._ "About three or four months ago."

Byakuya had to furrow his eyebrows. _That long?_

The zanpakutou then walked towards one of the trees and sat on the ground, leaning on it. "First, the moon came out. Then the stars. And before long, a rain shower… the lake was filled. Koi fishes appeared. And grasses started to sprout here and there. It was amazing to look at."

"And?" Byakuya asked. "What's the feeling that made it all happen?" Senbonzakura smiled before he shook his head.

"Not answering you, Master." He said in a teasing tone that irked the noble.

"If you will not tell me anyway, then I'll be leaving." Byakuya said. Senbonzakura sighed. His master was not only dense, he's stubborn too.

"Fine, I'll give you a hint." Senbonzakura said, knowing that from the rate the noble was going, it might take Byakuya at least another century before he could figure anything out. Byakuya looked at Senbonzakura coolly as he waited, though the zanpakutou only knew him too well to actually believe his expression of boredom. "I think you should try sparring with some other Taichou."

Byakuya's eyes narrowed. He thought that Senbonzakura would give him a solid hint. But the opinion he received was only too short to be considered as one. And besides, if it was a hint, Byakuya had already considered trying a spar to get his mind off things. _It wasn't new anymore._

"I mean it, Master." Senbonzakura immediately saw the disagreement in Byakuya's eyes. "It will help you realize what it is that caused this scenery before you. And when I said sparring, I didn't mean just any Taichou will do. Pick the one most suitable to your taste." After that, Senbonzakura decided to vanish and Byakuya was left slightly gaping at the spot where he had been a second ago.

_Pick the one most suitable to his taste? _What the hell did that mean?

And when the raven noble opened his eyes once more, he was once again in the confines of his own room. He sighed before he thought of Senbonzakura's words. It didn't make any sense at all.

And thus, he was bothered thinking about those words for a week, thinking deeply about the request and who to approach for a spar. He thought that maybe Shinji would do because the Taichou was more civil than Kenpachi. But then he changed his mind at the last minute when Shinji came barging in his Division asking for him to fight. Kenpachi did the same and irked him off. _And now he was left with no one to ask._

_Maybe _that_ person wouldn't mind?_

**.**

**.tbc.**

**.**

**Ren-sama's Note:**

**Ah, finally, some ByaIchi moments! (Though not the kind of moment that some of you wants *grins and winks*) Yes, sorry. This chapter might be a little mushy or OOC for some of you. And a little fast-paced too… But please don't let it deter you. Review! And no flames please. I hate flames. ˆoˆ**


	18. Chapter 18

**Ren-sama's Note:**

**Yeah, I did warn you about you that the story is fast-paced. But all in all, thank you for the overwhelming support for ByaIchi pair. Here's the next chapter! ˆoˆ**

**.**

**Chapter 18**

Ichigo blinked as he looked up from his table, eyeing the raven-haired noble that was currently standing before him.

Byakuya's eyebrow twitched in annoyance. "I said, meet me at the outskirt of Rukongai 78th tomorrow at 4 in the afternoon." After that, he quietly left the office with a swish of his hair and scarf as if he was the one bothered.

Ichigo continued to blink stupidly even after the noble was long gone, unable to form any coherent thoughts about the bizarre event that just occurred before him. _What the hell was that? _Byakuya suddenly came to his office in the 13th Division and then said those words without any explanation or invitation! Wasn't that just too annoying? Surely Byakuya knew how to ask if the teen had something else to do tomorrow?

He sighed. Knowing Byakuya, there was no way it was some form of subtle bullying. The man wouldn't be so subtle about that. _Maybe it was a mission? _Then why wasn't he informed directly through a Hell Butterfly? He raked his hair in exasperation and lack of proper explanation.

"Oh." He looked up when he heard the voice and saw Rukia with her arms on her chest. "Are you theorizing about the pedagogy of saving the world?" Ichigo arched an eyebrow at her and Rukia sighed. "I meant you're thinking really deeply and your eyebrows were all creased added to the scowl on your face."

Icihgo scowled for real. Yes, earlier was just his normal facial expression. "And? What do you want, midget?"

"Don't call me that!" Rukia exclaimed. She marched through the room and dropped the stack of papers on her Taichou's desk with quite a force. Ichigo merely shrugged. "And? What's bothering you?" She asked when she calmed down a bit.

"Nothing, really." The orange-haired teen stretched before he started looking at the papers that Rukia brought.

"And why was nii-sama here, by the way?" Rukia asked, curiosity written all over her face. Byakuya rarely visited the 13th Squad Barracks when Juushirou was still the Taichou and now that the white-haired man was no longer alive, the raven noble never visited the place anymore. Well, he did visit once but it was only the night when everyone held a party for Ichigo when the latter became a Taichou.

"Just talking about something." The young Taichou answered with a shrug. _Something he didn't quite understand at all. _

**. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .**

Byakuya kept on pacing to and fro his room as he waited for the time. He didn't know if he was feeling excited or nervous or both. _And why? He didn't know. _All he knew was the fact that at 4 in the afternoon he and Ichigo would be sparring.

He sighed as he willed himself to just sit in a seiza and watch his garden. He knew he didn't give Ichigo much of a chance to even say anything. But he thought it would be bad if the teen had the chance to either mock him or, worse, refuse. He knew it was a very selfish thing to do, especially since the Taichou looked really busy with all the new recruits that he had decided to have.

'_Master, calm down.' _Sebonzakura voiced in his mind.

"I am calm." He voiced coolly and he somehow knew his zanpakutou raised an eyebrow at his answer. "Why do you want me to spar with someone anyway?"

'_It will help you realize a very important fact.' _His zanpakutou simply said, inwardly smiling.

When the time came, Byakuya headed straight to Rukongai 78th. He arrived at the clearing where Ichigo and the others often sparred. How he knew of that fact, no one would know, except perhaps Senbonzakura.

Ichigo finished his paperwork quite early and headed straight to where Byakuya said they would meet. He initially thought that they would have a mission at the place. But Ichigo knew that Renji and Kenpachi, and sometimes Shinji too, sparred at that place so there's no way something unusual would occur there. _Maybe it was a different kind of mission from exterminating Hollows?_

When he arrived though, he saw Byakuya standing alone while looking at one of the trees above from where he stood. The noble looked really calm and cold as he stood there with perfect poise and elegance, but the teen knew better. Byakuya was disturbed about something and Ichigo couldn't help but frown.

"Are we here for some mission?" He started as he walked nearer. Byakuya simply looked at him before the latter answered.

"I wish to spar with you." The noble voiced, making Ichigo's eyes widen a little. No one wanted to spar with him these days, except Kenpachi and Shinji. Other Shinigamis feared his power and his strength. Renji wanted to spar with him once in a while, with the condition that he wouldn't go all out. The redhead said he still had many dreams he wished to realize, like wanting to marry Rukia and get settled, and of course become a Taichou.

"Ah, sure." Ichigo said, not knowing how to answer in any other way than that. He was even surprised when Byakuya suddenly looked relieved, not that Ichigo would ever voice his comment. He could only hide the small smile that graced his lips._ He liked it when Byakuya was not all stiff and cold._

Byakuya breathed out his remaining nervousness before he looked at Ichigo seriously. He was nervous, yes, but not because he was afraid of Ichigo. He knew that much. _It was something else. _Though he still didn't know what it was.

Ichigo drew out Zangetsu and Muramasa and held them both with two hands as he waited for Byakuya to do the same with his sword. Zangetsu and Muramasa vastly differ in size so it was a little hard to fight using them together. _He's been practicing together with Kenpachi and Shinji on that these past few months… _He watched as the noble's long and slender fingers gripped his katana tightly and unsheathed his own sword. Byakuya was very elegant and graceful in doing it, and Ichigo admired him more as a co-Taichou for that.

"Shall we start?" Byakuya asked, though he knew from the teen's reiatsu that Ichigo was more than ready for the spar. Ichigo nodded, and in that instant, Byakuya disappeared from his spot and reappeared on Ichigo's right just as he delivered a blow that ended up cutting air. Ichigo disappeared from his earlier position and was now behind Byakuya. The noble immediately shifted and dodged just in time.

"Chire, Senbonzakura." He commanded and his sword immediately turned into thousands of small pinkish petals that attacked Ichigo. The latter was quick to dodge and the noble had to use his hand to make his petals catch up to Ichigo. But even then, Ichigo used both Muramasa and Zangetsu in blocking the attacks. Byakuya silently approved of his co-taichou's tactics and even praised the teen in his mind. The way Ichigo fought was really graceful and he liked it. Even as he felt that the teen could drive him into a corner any time, he still couldn't help but admire the way Ichigo moved against him.

Ichigo was strained from the whole day's paperwork and the fight was a little relaxing for him. He felt calmer and more relaxed even though he was dodging serious attacks from Byakuya. He didn't know what came to the noble for even suggesting that they sparred, but it was a good way to unwind. _And the most important fact was that he was enjoying it only so much._

Byakuya felt his nervousness ebbed when the fight started, and it was enjoyable enough that he had forgotten all about other things for a while. He was fighting just for the sake of it and for its enjoyment. Not that he would tell that to Kenpachi or Shinji because those two would never let him hear the end of it if they ever heard that.

And thus, the spar continued until after dark. The two moved in lightning speed and continued to exchange blows against one another using their zanpakutous.

By the end of their spar, Ichigo was panting and Byakuya was sweating profusely, looking annoyed that despite the three hours of continuous sparring, he still wasn't able to make Ichigo go all out on him. The two decided that it was enough for now and they sat under the tree – the same tree which Ichigo and Kenpachi often sat on – so they could have some rest before heading back to Seireitei.

They weren't close enough to touch, though they could if one extended his hand a little, but they were close enough to hear each other's fast heartbeats.

"That was… nice." Ichigo said as he stretched his sore muscles, his sleeveless left arm brushing against Byakuya's shihakusho in the process. "Thank you, Byakuya."

Byakuya didn't answer. He simply closed his eyes and listened to the younger Taichou's voice; and he knew something was wrong with him when he felt calmed by it. _It was a bizarre feeling…_ "Are you hungry?"

The noble immediately opened his eyes and looked at the younger man when the latter asked the question out of nowhere. _And Kami, he was enthralled by the sight… _He had already seen Ichigo under the moonlight, but not this close. _Not this close… _The man's chocolate orbs were almost glowing with the dim light of the moon and his orange hair looked paler, and a lot softer. Even his tanned skin almost looked glowing. _He was beautiful… _And his eyes widened. _Did he really think that Ichigo was beautiful?_

Ichigo blinked at the other's sudden _intense gaze _for a reaction. For Byakuya's eyes to widen just because he asked about meal was quite puzzling. "Byakuya..?" And still Byakuya didn't respond. _Maybe he was really offended?_ "Uh, you don't have to answer if you don't want to."

Byakuya sighed and closed his eyes again when he realized what he had been doing. _It was getting troublesome… _Ichigo's teenage voice, his quite intoxicating scent, his beautiful profile, his warm reiatsu that still hung in the air, his timid kindness… his strength… _His everything… _The raven felt like those things were calling out to him. _No, it was the opposite. _He was the one being sucked in, entranced and hypnotized. _That _was not good.

Ichigo was surprised when Byakuya suddenly stood up and slowly walked away without turning back. "Thank you for your time."

"Sure…" Ichigo watched the other's leaving figure and couldn't help but think that it was kind of disappointing. He thought that he and Byakuya were at least able to forge a meager relationship as co-Taichous. But it seemed that the noble became ice again after their heated battle. _Was it his fault? Did he do anything to make Byakuya angry? _And without a thought, he was immediately behind the noble and grabbed the other's wrist. "Byakuya, wait."

Byakuya was surprised when Ichigo was suddenly behind him, grabbing his wrist, without any sound. But he was not called a stoic and composed person for nothing. All surprise, and even the jolt of warmth in his stomach at the skin to skin contact, was hidden underneath his carefully placed mask. "What is it, Ichigo Kurosaki?"

Ichigo sighed when he heard his full name again before he asked the question at hand. "Well… did I… uh, offend you or something..?" He was glad that the raven didn't shake his hand off.

Byakuya's eyebrows furrowed at the sudden question. He looked at Ichigo's slightly troubled expression and the annoying urge to wipe it away was making it hard for the noble to focus. "No, I don't believe you did something like that." He voiced coolly.

Ichigo looked relieved at the statement and the noble felt proud of his accomplishment. His words outside formal settings, up until now, only caused fear, offense, and/or pain to other people. _That's one of the reasons why he rarely talked. _And for Ichigo's expression to brighten up because of his mere words was something he'd never accomplished doing to anyone.

The younger male let go of the noble's wrist and smiled a tad before he shook his head. "Are you going home now?" He tilted his head to one side as he asked the question.

Byakuya closed his eyes again. He kept on forgetting that Ichigo was still a child removed of all his innocence about the world, but he was still nevertheless a child. It meant that such childish acts would appear _cute _on him. Not that the raven would ever admit that. "Yes, I am. Do you want to have dinner with Rukia and I?"

Ichigo's eyes widened. He was not expecting that. _Well, maybe Byakuya was being nice to him because of the spar and also because he was Rukia's Taichou. _"Uh, Sure. It will give me a nice excuse to Shunsui-san for not making it to his drinking session with the others." Byakuya opened his eyes and arched an eyebrow at him, making Ichigo explain further. "Well, Shunsui-san asked me earlier if I would like to go to his drinking party later. But I declined. He still told me to go unless I really have to do something though... So…" He scratched the back of his head, feeling a little embarrassed. "Ah, that doesn't mean I'll be using you and Rukia. I'm happy to accept the dinner even without some drinking party to hide from."

Byakuya nodded. He thought that Ichigo's refusal to drink was only because Juushirou said he was still young. But it seemed the young man really didn't want it. And without even thinking, he asked. "May I know why you refuse to drink alcohol, aside from sensei's disapproval?"

Ichigo felt his chest tighten a little when his chichi was mentioned. He knew that Byakuya never wanted to make him feel miserable, but it couldn't be helped. _He loved Kaien and Juushirou so much… They were like his parents, aside from baa-chan, Goat-face, and Masaki… _"Something… kind of happens when I drink… sort of…" He scratched his cheek with his forefinger, indicating that he found explaining a little embarrassing and awkward. No one really knew the reason why he didn't drink except Juushirou, Kaien, Kenpachi, and Renji. And those people were really close to him. For him to suddenly feel like telling Byakuya was already surprising even to himself.

Byakuya noticed the pain in the young man's voice, most likely at the mention of Juushirou, and guilt immediately washed over him. He knew that Ichigo was still mourning, and the mention of his chichi in any way still brought pain and sadness in his heart. Though aside from that, he was partly curious to know what kind of _thing_ happens when Ichigo drinks. If he was still his younger self, he would have annoyed the younger man just to make him spill everything or he would've even mixed some alcohol in Ichigo's food just to see what happens. But he was calmer and more composed now. _He would never humiliate himself again, like what he always did when he was younger. _"I see. Let's hurry up." He simply answered.

The two shunpo'd over to Byakuya's house and entered through the front gate. If the guards were surprised to see Ichigo together with Byakuya and the two making some small conversations, they didn't show it. But Rukia did.

She had just entered the dining hall when she heard her Taichou's familiar voice and her nii-sama's cool one. The two males were talking as if they were the best of friends, though only Rukia could notice that because she had been quite close to the two. If anyone ever saw the two Taichous, they would just shrug and say that they were being cold and distant as always.

She walked towards them and Ichigo gave her a small smile while her nii-sama acknowledged her presence by nodding in her direction. The two males were sitting in a seiza across one another in the dining table. She sat adjacent to them.

"You're here again, Ichigo?" She asked initially but then she remembered her nii-sama's presence and immediately corrected herself. "I mean, Kurosaki-taichou."

"It's alright, Rukia." Ichigo said casually, dismissing her use of honorific as something trivial. "Byakuya invited me to have dinner with you guys."

Rukia's eyes widened. 'Byakuya' and 'invite' just never appear in the same sentence, at least not in sentences that everyone was aware of. It'd be semantically incorrect. She cleared her throat and chose to stay quiet as the two taichous talked about something work-related which she couldn't and would never understand.

Their meal arrived some minutes later and everyone immediately settled in a quiet meal, enjoying the food in peace and silence. When the meal ended, Byakuya excused himself for a while as he went upstairs and changed his clothes. Meanwhile, Rukia and Ichigo went to the garden and sat on the porch, their feet dangling on the ground.

"So…" Rukia started. "Why were you and nii-sama together earlier?" She asked. It was not an everyday occurrence that the thirteenth and the sixth Division taichous were seen hanging out with one another outside work.

"We sparred." Ichigo merely shrugged as he looked at the glittering sky. There was not a cloud in sight and the brightness of the stars and the crescent moon lighted up the evening. After that, the Thirteenth Division Taichou just narrowed his eyes whenever Rukia asked more about her brother.

The female noble sighed at her taichou's stubbornness. It seemed Ichigo was thinking that she had ulterior motive whenever she asked questions about her nii-sama when in truth she just wanted to know more about Ichigo's relationship with him outside being colleagues. It'd be great if they become friends, especially since her nii-sama didn't have one. She knew that her nii-sama liked Ichigo because the teen wasn't boisterous but he wasn't stone-cold either. He was warm and kind, but he wasn't rowdy and noisy. Ichigo was just the right friend for her nii-sama.

Byakuya showed up some moments after, dressed in a dark blue yukata. Ichigo couldn't help but smile to himself when he saw his co-taichou without his haori, his kenseikan, and his windflower scarf. It was like seeing a different side to the older man, not that it was the first time he saw Byakuya not wearing his formal Shinigami attire. But even still, it made him realize all over again that Byakuya was a very handsome male.

A servant brought sake to them by the male raven's request and Rukia chose that moment to excuse herself, somehow feeling that she was not supposed to be there, if the aura his nii-sama kept emitting was any indication.

Both Ichigo and Byakuya remained silent for a while as the older male drank sake and Ichigo drank tea. They were both staring at the moon, admiring its nightly beauty. Both were deep in thought, though for different purposes. Ichigo was still very much curious about Rukia's claims that he and Byakuya were getting closer. _Were they really getting closer? _He didn't realize that. But for now, he still had many things to settle, mainly his paperwork, his Division, and the drizzle that he knew still kept on pouring in his inner world. He was grateful to Byakuya because the older man, in just one fight, made him forget momentarily the depressing thoughts that kept on weighing down on him. The noble was able to make his mind go blank, especially during their spar. _And it was a refreshing and calming feeling… How he wished they could spar more…_

Byakuya, on the other hand, was still confused. He had already finished sparring with Ichigo. And yet the answer that he expected didn't come. Senbonzakura said that he'd know the answer if he sparred with Ichigo. _Did he pick the wrong Taichou? _No, he was sure Senbonzakura was fine when he chose Ichigo as a sparring partner.

'_Master, it's not something that will present itself to you once you've sparred with him.' _Byakuya suddenly heard a voice inside his mind. _'It's something that you have to realize on your own, with the help of that spar earlier.'_

Byakuya silently growled when he heard his zanpakutou._ He did all that for nothing? _He felt like strangling his zanpakutou somehow. But then his eyes caught Ichigo as the latter chose that moment to pour himself some tea again and drank it with utter grace. _And he was glad he decided to spar with the taichou…_

Byakuya sighed inwardly when he felt it, not that he would sigh so visibly, especially if someone like Ichigo was in hearing proximity. _There it was again… the warmth and fluttering feeling inside him. _And as he looked at Ichigo again, added with Senbonzakura's words, he was finally able to understand.

_It was Ichigo that caused his inner world to have life again…_

He thought he heard Senbonzakura's words of 'finally' inside his head, but he didn't pay him any mind. Because right now, he had more pressing thoughts at hand. If Ichigo was indeed the cause of life in his inner world, then that would create more confusing thoughts for him. _Why was Ichigo the cause of it? Since when? Why would Ichigo evoke such life in his inner world when even Rukia wasn't able to do it? How was Ichigo able to do it? _

And Senbonzakura had to sigh in his inner world again. _It seemed Byakuya Kuchiki's denseness knew no bound at all._

.

.tbc.

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**Ren-sama's Note:**

**Yep, this one is a light chapter… not to mention shorter. I just want to set the momentum for the two of them, so please don't be too harsh on me if it appeared OOC for you. Anyway, please review! ˆoˆ**


	19. Chapter 19

**Ren-sama's Note:**

**Thank you, people, for the wonderful reviews! I'm glad you liked the previous chapter! This is the new one! Please enjoy! ˆoˆ**

**Chapter 19**

The noble sighed as he finished his remaining paperwork. It irked him that he kept on spacing out whenever his mind drifted to Ichigo. He knew now that Ichigo was causing him this unexplainable feeling, not to mention the changes in his inner world. But for him to actually dwell on it for much too long was kind of disturbing, not to mention weird.

He had been thinking about this discovery of his for some days now and he still couldn't find the answer. He knew that asking Senbonzakura would be better than thinking about it alone, but he refused to hear the zanpakutou's sighs of disappointment. He knew that Senbonzakura knew more than he was letting on, but Byakuya couldn't think of anything to make the other male spill everything out. _And thus, he could only think and think and still think of Ichigo and his other problems._

He breathed deeply when he finished the paperwork which didn't stop him from thinking at all, and he put the ink pen down on the table without much thought.

That night, some days ago, when they both sparred and talked about mundane things in the Kuchiki mansion… it was something Byakuya thought was precious. _And yet, he didn't know why. _He remembered Ichigo looking contented and that was all that mattered to him during that time. _And now that he thought about it, _that _kind of behavior was so unlike him at all. _

He sighed when he realized he was staring off into space again. _How long would he continue to think about Ichigo? How long would he feel soothed by the other man's presence alone? How long would he feel contentment and at the same time restlessness by just thinking about the orange-haired taichou?_

He knew that he wouldn't be able to concentrate much on his work if his mind was filled with such things and if he kept on spacing out. _He might as well deal with the root of the problem itself._

**. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .**

Ichigo blinked at the Hell Butterfly that was perched on the tip of his index finger. _Did he hear the message right? _The butterfly flew up in the air after the message was finished and left through the window.

Ichigo continued to stare at the spot where the butterfly disappeared from for some more seconds before he shook his head to snap the daze out of him. _Byakuya wanted to spar with him this afternoon and, on top of that, invite him to dinner again? _The catch was this, they wouldn't be having dinner in the Kuchiki manor this time but at some place in Rukongai. It was quite shocking to say the least. For the most prideful and stuck-up noble to eat outside the confines of his noble manor was so unlikely. _And in Rukongai at that which Byakuya once called the District of the lowly dogs?_

That was beyond normal understanding. Maybe Byakuya had an accident somewhere and hit his head pretty hard? Though Ichigo knew the curlers would… no, the kenseikan, would surely protect him from the impact. He refrained from calling the things 'curlers' ever since he fought with Byakuya and the man gained his respect.

But the most shocking thing was the fact that he readily agreed even though he had some important paperwork to finish. _Did he like sparring with Byakuya that much? _He sighed and smiled to himself. _Of course he did. _Byakuya was very strong and dependable, not to mention totally graceful and elegant when fighting. And he never held back in their spar, which made Ichigo feel like he could go all out too, not that he would ever do that against Byakuya. _And now that he thought about it, it wasn't shocking at all to agree to the spar so readily, considering the noble's attributes. _Anyone would like to spar with Byakuya just with those reasons.

'_**Tsk. Tsk.' **_Shiro cackled inside him. _**'How naive, King. Or maybe you're just plain ignorant.' **_He knew that Ichigo was dense, but not this much. If the kid would only ask other zanpakutous, they would say that they knew better than to cross-swords against the stoic taichou. _Only Ichigo would enjoy sparring with the noble._

'_Don't insult our master, Shiro!' _Muramasa scolded. And before Ichigo could even ask what he was being ignorant of, a fight inside his inner world started again. He sighed as he listened to their daily banter.

'_It rains lesser and lesser in here, Ichigo.' _The low, calm voice of Zangetsu echoed inside the teen's head, and Ichigo was grateful. _'It seems you've found a really good medicine.'_

"_Huh? What do you mean, Zangetsu-oji-san?" _He asked, but all that answered him was the cackle of an overly-excited Shiro and the curses of the overly-provoked Muramasa.

He sighed before he continued doing his paperwork.

**. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .**

Byakuya sat under the shade of the same tree where he and Ichigo rested once after their spar. He felt calmed and soothed by the mere memory of that time. And right now, he knew he must discover what it was that kept him occupied with the thoughts of the orange-haired teen. He must learn what it was about Ichigo that made his inner world alive again. He must know what the feeling in his stomach was every time the younger male was in close proximity. _And just thinking about it already made his stomach flutter. _He couldn't help but growl in frustration.

"Sorry, I'm late. I had some important paperwork to do and I couldn't leave without that getting done. Have you been waiting long?" A voice that made his heart skip some knots reverberated in the afternoon air and he closed his eyes for some seconds just to compose himself once more before he answered.

"No, I just arrived. Besides, you indicated in your answer that you will be late." Steel gray orbs opened and Byakuya's gaze fell on Ichigo who smiled a tad at the answer.

'_Master, you're a liar.' _Senbonzakura voiced inside him. _'He did say that he'd be late but you still arrived here on the exact time you indicated, which was an hour ago.' _

"_Be quiet, Senbonzakura." _He berated coldly inside his head as he watched Ichigo's hair shone under the light of the afternoon sun. It was quite charming, what with his eyes turning almost chocolate-orange too because the setting sun was facing him. He wore his sleeveless shihakusho and haori as usual, and it made him all the more stunning. Byakuya couldn't help but continue his intense stare.

Ichigo felt really uncomfortable under the noble's strange gaze, but he knew it must be because the said raven was annoyed at his lateness. He shrugged the feeling off and walked nearer. "Are we going to spar now?"

"Yes." Byakuya answered, and without word, vanished from his post and appeared just behind Ichigo to deal him a blow on the back.

It was only due to Ichigo's fast reflex that he was able to immediately block the attack with his zanpakutou. His eyebrows creased when he had taken a good look at Byakuya's face. His face held no emotion whatsoever as usual. But his eyes spoke differently. _The noble was distracted. _Ichigo didn't know if it was right to ask for a spar when one was really too out of it, but he also knew that Byakuya would never ask to spar with him at whim. _It seemed Byakuya was having some problems about something and he wished to spar with Ichigo to take his mind off of it. _That seemed to be a rational reason.

Far from Ichigo's assumption, however, what made Byakuya so distracted was the fact that he just _hesitated _in his surprise attack earlier. _He of all people was not one to hesitate in a fight. _It disturbed him to know that he wasn't able to go all-out against Ichigo at all earlier. _Was he being soft on the kid just because he knew that said kid was the source of life in his inner world? _No, he knew it was more than that.

"Byakuya," Ichigo's voice rang in the afternoon air and Byakuya stopped from his tracks. Ichigo sounded… _worried? _"Are you alright? You seem pretty distracted from the fight."

Ichigo watched as Byakuya's eyes held his surprise even if his face showed nothing. The noble took some seconds to recover before he answered in his usually calm but cold voice. "Nothing that you should be concerned of, Ichigo Kurosaki."

The teen sighed. _He was merely worried and the noble just had to be too defensive. _"Alright then." And the two continued their spar again.

It was already dark when they finished and Byakuya had to recover from the shock of what he just realized during the spar. _He was getting distracted every time Ichigo's bare skin would brush against his bare, and even clothed, skin. _He would feel his breath hitch at the contact and his stomach would tingle. It was unnerving to say the least.

He was not so dense as to not know what that implied. _Was he… _He shuddered inwardly at the thought forming inside his head. _Was he… _He shuddered inwardly again. _…lusting for Ichigo..? _The question was too disturbing for him that he immediately shook the idea off of his head, though basing from his reaction when Ichigo walked nearer, he knew he wasn't successful enough.

"Byakuya, are you sure you're okay?" Ichigo asked again when he noticed that the older noble looked really disturbed about something.

The noble shook his head before he sighed. "It's nothing, Ichigo." And he started walking away only to realize that he just called the teen with just his given name. He immediately turned around to correct his mistake, only to freeze in his spot when he saw the reaction the said teen had.

Ichigo wasn't expecting the noble to call his name so familiarly. And that somehow made him lose balance on everything as he completely froze on the spot. His eyes widened in surprise and he knew the tips of his ears were starting to turn red. And much to his embarrassment, Byakuya just chose that time to turn around.

The noble's eyes widened at the unexpected reaction that the younger male gave him. _And Kami, that was quite a sight… _Seeing Ichigo's eyes wide with the tips of his ears burning red from embarrassment was just so, for lack of a better term, _adorable._ And just as the sight greeted him, the moment he blinked, it was already gone as if it was just the result of his overactive imagination.

Ichigo cleared his throat to recover from the situation. "Uh… shall we go?" He said before he started walking and passed by the still frozen noble.

"Let's go." Byakuya appeared unaffected as he followed the younger Taichou but the sadistic gleam in his eyes spoke differently.

The two removed their haoris and hung the white clothing on their shoulders as they walked in the busy street to at least lessen the wary and fearful stares of the people. They both entered a small but comfortable-looking pub, led by Byakuya, and chose the table with the most privacy. They both sat in a seiza across each other and let themselves relax in the place. The waiter asked for their order and both ordered differently. Ichigo ordered a heavy meal and a sweet tea while Byakuya ordered something light together with unsweetened tea.

Byakuya had never been here since his wife died. It was the restaurant he often frequented with her when she was still alive. He didn't know what came to him. To invite someone, especially Ichigo, at the place didn't even enter his mind until just a minute ago. Now that he saw how Ichigo surveyed the place with interested eyes though, he knew he made the right decision.

The noble might have been a little overwhelmed whenever he remembered his wife because of the place, but he was not here now to wallow in self pity and grief. He was together with the sole person who made his inner world alive again. _And that made all the difference. _The immediate grief and the anguish that he associated with his wife's death were not at all present today. He could still feel loneliness at the thought of her parting but the pain was at a minimum. _It was a bizarre feeling, to think of his wife but feel nothing but calmness._

He looked at how the orange-haired teen silently enjoyed the warm and cozy place and the noble knew that Ichigo's presence was the reason why he could come here with all the calmness that he had now. He could see in Ichigo's eyes that the younger man was contented, if not entirely relaxed, even if his expression was of utter seriousness and his scowl was in place. And his eyes widened a little at his realization.

_He could read Ichigo's mood._

He blinked. He knew Ichigo was enjoying the place, but how, he didn't know. The younger male still has his scowl in place and his reiatsu was so quiet no one would ever know what he was feeling. _So how the hell could he tell that Ichigo was contented, if not entirely happy?_

'_Your denseness knows no bound, Master.' _A voice inside his head made him growl and made Ichigo, in turn, look at him in question.

"What's wrong, Byakuya?" Ichigo asked as he looked at the noble full in the eyes.

Byakuya looked like he didn't just growl and now still appeared very calm. "Nothing that you should concern yourself with, Ichigo." He spoke with a voice so calm it was almost deadly, at least to everyone but not the person he was currently talking to.

Ichigo was so surprised to hear Byakuya spoke of his name so casually that his breathe hitched unexpectedly. He felt the tips of his ears reddening again for some reason unknown to him and he immediately cleared his throat to clear his mind. "B-Byakuya, you can revert back to calling my full name if you want." He felt giddy with the tingling sensation in his stomach and he silently cursed when he stammered in his words.

If Byakuya was still his younger self, he would have snickered at the reaction he got from the teen. It was amusing how Ichigo gets so flustered at the mere mention of his first name. _Was the teen always like this with new acquaintances? _He certainly would like to continue his subtle torture if this was the case. _How lovely those red ear tips were becoming…_

And the sadistic glimmer in Byakuya's cold gray eyes made Ichigo's eyes widened. _The stuck-up noble was doing it on purpose! _The teen was about to give a smart retort but held back when the waiter approached them and gave their order. Afterwards, the two settled in a very quiet dinner, immediately forgetting their earlier actions.

The younger male was still thinking even now about Byakuya's reason for inviting him of all people in this pub. It's not like the two of them have gotten really close to be considered friends. Although they were really much closer than before, it was still far from the way Ichigo felt for Renji, or Rukia. Somehow… his relationship with Byakuya just couldn't be put side by side with his relationship with friends._ It's just… _so_ different. Not to mention that it felt different too…_

_Then why did Byakuya invite him? _Ichigo had to sigh when he remembered the sadistic expression that the noble had earlier. _That could pass as a reason to invite someone for dinner, right? To torture them by making them feel embarrassment… _Really, he thought Byakuya was such a stuck-up whose entire existence was made to worship the rules of Soul Society. So why was a noble like him finding pleasure in seeing the distress of one orange-haired Taichou who only happened to rub him the wrong way during their initial encounters? _Well, at least Byakuya didn't hate him now… _

He heard Shiro snickered inside his mind for something he didn't quite understand and he held back the urge to comment on it. Instead, he sipped his warm tea as he inhaled the scent of the meal he ordered.

Byakuya, even now, liked it when Ichigo was drinking his sweet tea. The teen was really graceful to the point where even he was amazed. _Not that that shallow point of the teen was enough to make his inner world live again. _He knew it was something else, something much deeper that he was not yet aware of.

He closed his eyes as he sipped his own tea. Ichigo was merely a boy, but was he really, for the lack of a better term, _lusting_ for that said boy? _Right now though, he could feel nothing of the sort. _He could only feel utter calmness and contentment.

'_And also the feeling of pleasurable tingle inside your stomach...' _ Senbonzakura added inside his mind but Byakuya readily ignored the zanpakutou as he continued in his musing.

Was it actually just his adrenalin then, the so-called _lust _that he felt? It happened earlier when they were in the middle of the fight too, just when they happened to touch. _No, it happened even before they started fighting. _He sighed inwardly. If only he could solve this huge mystery called Ichigo Kurosaki, then he'd have no problem doing his paperwork as usual.

"Thanks for the meal." Ichigo mumbled before he started eating his meal, getting self-conscious of the fact that Byakuya's gray orbs refused to leave him be. And he was getting too self-conscious to ask too. _Why would the noble do that anyway? Maybe to torment him again?_

Byakuya started eating his meal too while gazing at the beautiful teen, though he was still in a deep thought. Ichigo had managed to bring out the relaxed, younger side of him which he so buried under the impenetrable mask of coldness and indifference. _If the teen was doing it unconsciously, then Byakuya feared the day when Ichigo would consciously do it. _

And with that realization, the noble's eyes slightly widened. _He wasn't just lusting for the younger Taichou… He's actually attracted to Ichigo. _A shiver immediately ran down his spines at his realization. _He's attracted to Ichigo… _The thought echoed inside his mind for some minutes until it sank deeper into his consciousness.

"Byakuya?" Ichigo called the older male when he felt the slightly disturbed reiatsu coming from the other. "Are you sure you're okay?" Byakuya looked slightly alarmed when he looked at Ichigo and the teen had the nagging feeling that he was the cause of the noble's distress. "I know it's not my business and all. But at least try to open to people more."

Byakuya watched as the younger teen scowled, though it appeared more like a pout to him now. _How hardheaded was he to not realize it himself? _Senbonzakura surely realized his feelings for the teen way before he even realized it has something to do with Ichigo. _So that's why Senbonzakura asked him to spar with Ichigo…_

'_Ah, thank goodness. I thought it'll be a century before you realize it, Master.' _Senbonzakura teased inside his head and he let out a growl to shut the zanpakutou up, though he immediately regretted it when the teen in front of him thought that the growl was to shut _him_ up.

Byakuya sighed when he saw the slight tinge of hurt in those chocolate eyes. To make up for it, which he knew he would be doing a lot from now on, he answered the question. "I'm just a little tired from the Division, Ichigo. It's nothing to worry about."

Ichigo looked at the noble with surprise. He never thought that Byakuya would answer him, especially since he just growled his annoyance on him. He felt the tips of his ears and his cheeks warming up with the rush of blood when the noble called him by name again, though this time Byakuya obviously wasn't teasing. _And now he didn't know what to say. _

'_**Just tell him you like him, or something along those lines.' **_Shiro snickered inside his mind and Ichigo had the urge to growl too, though he held it back in his throat at the last minute.

'_Shut up, Shiro.' _He answered in his mind instead. _'You know I won't let myself hold anyone dear anymore. The heartache that continues to drizzle down upon in my inner world is enough.'_

"You should try to relax more, Byakuya." The teen answered the noble, before his eyes widened in understanding. "Oh, is that what the spar was all about?"

"…Yes." Byakuya closed his eyes instead of averting them because of the blatant lie and sipped the last of his tea. "You should finish your meal too, Ichigo." He opened his eyes just in time to see the teen trying to quietly bring down the blush that spread across his cheeks and the tips of his ears. The noble smirked from beneath the cover of his tea cup.

_It really is so fun messing with Ichigo._

'_I think that's just your way of conveying your affection for him, Master.' _Senbonzakura echoed in his mind again and Byakuya almost drop the cup that he was holding. His zanpakutou's blatant words struck him good and he found himself unable to retort. He could already imagine the smug smirk that that samurai had from under that annoying mask.

Ichigo quickly but gracefully finished his meal and sipped the remaining of his tea quite contentedly. Even though he and Byakuya hardly exchanged any word in the duration of their dinner, Ichigo found it very comforting to be in the older taichou's presence – contrary to all beliefs.

'_I think you're the only one who thinks that, Ichigo.' _Muramasa said inside his mind and Ichigo scowled. How could everyone think that Byakuya was a bad person? _Well, actually, now that he thought about it, he was one of those who truly believed that Byakuya-the-curlers was the devil's incarnate. No, that was Aizen. So Byakuya was the devil's right hand man's incarnate. No, that was Gin. Then Byakuya was…_

'_**That stuck up is a demon sent from hell to fire and light up your utterly dark and cold world, Ichigo.' **_Shiro teased and Ichigo wished he was in his inner world, slicing that smug grin off of that whitey bastard.

Byakuya could feel his annoyance building up as he tried to think of something to talk about. He knew that Ichigo was quite comfortable with the silence, but he was feeling too annoyed at the constant voice inside his mind, courtesy of one annoying samurai who never knew how to stop, and just wanted to talk to the teen. "So, how's your Division?" He asked out of the blue and he silently cursed himself for blurting it out loud without any thought.

Ichigo blinked before he realized that Byakuya had just asked him a question. Well, talking to the older man was a lot better than talking to Shiro and his constant teasing. "It's fine. The trainees are doing well and I might let them officially join the missions some time next week. The problem about the staff's number is already solved and everyone is doing their job properly, or at least as far as I am concerned." He answered, not elaborating that the noble's sister was always idling around and always urging him to take a rest instead of just helping him with the paperwork so he could indeed rest. He also didn't voice the mountainous amount of paperwork that he had to do everyday because of one, no, two annoying Taichous who just kept on destroying most of the Thirteenth Squad properties just to look for him and ask for a fight.

After he answered, Byakuya asked him another question about the Division. And another, and another, and before the teen even realized it, the noble was already subtly asking him about his personal life. Of course, Ichigo also had his share of questions which the noble answered with curtness and precision, though it wasn't the cold way he usually addressed people. Byakuya would sometimes elaborate if he found it lacking, but almost always he deemed it enough of an answer. During those times, Ichigo knew better than to ask further. Of course, Byakuya also noticed that Ichigo still held back in his answers, though not consciously. And he also knew better than to press the younger male.

They both knew that they needed time to open up to other people. But that didn't mean that they didn't learn enough about each other. Ichigo found himself talking about his life in Rukongai, though not in details, and also told Byakuya about the first time he met Shiro and Zangetsu. He also learned about Byakuya's wife, Hisana, and also a lot about the Kuchiki Clan. He didn't know why Byakuya was contently sharing those things to him, or why he was talking about his past to someone who was not even officially his friend, but he was nevertheless grateful.

It was after a minute of mundane topics that two Hell Butterflies flew down on their fingers. Ichigo stiffened when he read the message and he saw from the corner of his eyes that Byakuya also did.

The two let the butterflies flew away to convey their answers before they both stood up and shunpo'd over to the First Division Office just as the alarm in Seireitei blared for everyone to hear.

If the Soutaichou was ever surprised that both arrived at the same time, or together, he never showed it on his face. He just solemnly stared at the young ones in front of him with an unreadable expression as always. Shunsui was yawning in his position, though he gave the pair a curious glance, while Kenpachi was grinning manically, the reason was something known only to him. Toshirou looked like he wanted to be standing anywhere but between the two idiots, though he also looked at Ichigo and Byakuya meaningfully when the two Taichous arrived together. It was known to everyone that the two Taichous disliked each other, but seeing that they didn't give off such an aura to one another, it was really hard to tell now.

Shinji had both of his hands behind his head as he appeared totally lax. He gave Ichigo a cheeky grin before he yawned. He stood beside Kenpachi. Both Ichigo and Byakuya stood properly beside Shunsui with their impenetrable masks as the soutaichou told the six Taichous their mission in person.

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.tbc.

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**Ren-sama's Note:**

**And so, this is the start of another arc! This fict is nearing its climax (please put your dirty minds out of the gutter). And please review! **


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